The Perfect Love Affair
by edana.azu
Summary: Akihito broke up with Asami, thinking the relationship he had with Asami was not normal. He started a new life and everything went so smoothly. Until one day, he met Asami again and the man gave him an offer he couldn't refuse. Now, he had the hot sexy crime lord as well as the normal relationship he always wanted. So why didn't he feel happy? Chars: Asami x Aki, Aki x OC
1. Chapter 1 Everything Has a Beginning

**Part 1. Lonely Are The Nights When The Storm Is Coming**

Kou said today that he could feel the storm is coming. And I didn't believe him. I mean, Kou also told us since we were five that one-day, he would find the love of his life. And so far, there is no sign whatsoever that that prophecy will be fulfilled anytime in the future. Not with how picky he is with girls. So, considering how his first divination hasn't been proven yet, why should I trust his latest one?

But apparently he might really have the ability to predict the future. Or he just watched the weather forecast before he met us. Either way, I watch silently as the heavy sheets of water pour down from the sky. The drops make thousands of streams on my apartment window. The wind beats down the trees lining the street five floors below me. The road is almost empty. No more crowds rushing home to enjoy a warm night with family or people going excitedly to the hottest club in town. The storm is indeed coming.

My phone rings from the coffee table in front of the TV. I sigh quietly before moving slowly to answer the call. I can guess who calls even before I see the caller ID.

"Akihito, are you home?" I hear a familiar voice that I miss so much.

"I am, Arata. Where are you? You said you would come home by 9. I've been waiting for hours since then. Dinner is cold already, " I reply while staring blankly at all the delicious dishes that I cooked for hours earlier today; a special treat for our anniversary dinner. From the withdrawn tone Arata talks, I dare to bet my entire salary for the next 6 months that he is still at his office. He will never ever talk in an intimate way to me near his colleagues. That is just the way he is.

"I am very, very sorry, Aki. Something came up at work and my supervisor said that they need me to finish this first. I know that tonight is, " he lowers his voice into a strained whisper, "special for us both. You know how important tonight is to me. But-"

"-you work hard for our future. I get it." I cut him with the infamous sentence that is already ingrained into my flesh and blood by now.

He continues in a rush, "Thank you for being so understanding, Aki. With this storm, there is just no way I can get home by tonight. I am very sorry, but I know you will understand. I will come home tomorrow, okay?"

No, it is not okay. I miss him. I simply can't see anymore how him working more than 120 hours a week is related to our future. It is not like we are lack of money, especially since my work has gone smoothly recently. And tonight is our 2nd anniversary, for God's sake! Why can't he just come home earlier before the storm even came? Heck, isn't it possible for his boss to let him go just for tonight? Can't the company survive without my boyfriend for a few fucking hours? How could he even think that I will be okay?

"Okay," my mouth says automatically, "I love you."

He doesn't say anything for a while. Then, I hear his quick footsteps. Finding an even more quite place, I guess. A few seconds later, in a barely audible whisper that I almost miss it, he replies, "Me, too. I miss you. And I am really, truly sorry. I will make it up for you later, promise."

And this is why I always forgive him in our 2 years relationship. No matter what, I know that he tries hard for our life together. And though he is far from perfect, he always tries to become what I want him to be. Or at least, what he thinks I want him to be. If he can make the choice, I am sure that he will go straight to our home and celebrate our anniversary as promised. So, it is not fair for me to blame him every time he can't be what I want him to be, isn't it?

So, I answered, "I know. I miss you, too. Take care, okay?"

We end the phone call quickly after. I put the phone on the side table and sink into the sofa wondering whether I make the right decision. Maybe I should just shout at him. But I just don't have the will. I am really getting soft with my age.

Slowly, I turn on the TV without any intention to watch it. I just can't stand the silence in our apartment tonight. Rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand, my mind wanders back into the time when I met Arata for the first time.

* * *

It was after one of my assignment with Mitarai, less than 6 months since my last 'incident'. Mitarai and I just spent three nights in a row waiting inside a rubbish he called 'car' to get a photo of a dirty politician. I hadn't got any proper rest for the last two weeks by that time. But I didn't really care. I just wanted to do anything that could distract my mind from those golden eyes that haunted me days and nights.

When we finally got the proof of this politician's affair with a teenage girl in front of a five stars hotel, I could see that Mitarai were more than ready to kick me out of his car so he could go home and have a break, at least until our report to the chief editor the next day. But I just couldn't go back to the small empty dark place that now I called home. I knew I would just break down again and I didn't think I even had any more tears left.

So I simply walked down the street and finally settled down in a 24 hours coffee shop. You know, the kind of coffee shop that sells overpriced coffee. I didn't usually come to this kind of shop for the sake of my bank account. But, tonight, I just didn't care.

I knew. It was weird to go into a coffee shop when you wanted to forget the tragedy of your life. A bar and a few shots of hard liquor would do a much better job. But how could I rationalize my action after my last 'incident' in Russia? Hell, how could any sane people rationalize anything after various 'incidents' (yes, it is plural with 's') that involve kidnapping, torture, rape, and abuse that they have to endure simply because they fell in love with a richer-and-more-powerful-than-prime-minister-crime-lord? So, after Hong Kong, China, Thailand, and then Russia (oh, and also the heartbreaking incident of saying good bye to said crime lord after Russia, don't forget that!), you couldn't really blame me if I did irrational things.

Heaven knew why a coffee shop could be crowded that late at night. But the only empty seat was right in front of a man working on his laptop. Having no other choice, I asked whether the seat was occupied. He absentmindedly shook his head and waved his hand in the random direction of the chair.

I took that as a "yes, go ahead". So, I sat and, without anything else to do, quietly observed the man in front of me as I slowly sip at my overpriced coffee. He had dark brown hair and long eye lashes. He was taller than me with a lean body, not overweight but also not muscular. His plain white shirt and black suit was a bit dull, the type that was wore by hundreds other employees in Tokyo. When I realized he had dimple on his left cheek, unconsciously I started to think the best camera angle to take his picture. I admit he looked quite good. Not good in a hot way, but more in a sweet way.

Ten minutes later, he took his cup and brought it to his lips just to found it empty. I knew it was rude, but somehow I couldn't help chuckling seeing his behavior. Instead of getting mad, though, he joined my laughter and we just started talking and joking to each other after that. He introduced himself as Arata Takagi. That night was the first time I laughed so freely after I left Asami's penthouse.

Two weeks after our first meeting, he said that he wanted to explore our feelings together. We started going out then. Four months later, I met his family, his parents and older sister, who accepted me with a very warm welcome. A month after that he met my parents who love him instantly. It was right after that meeting that we decided to move in together. Everything just went so smoothly for us. I felt like it was a, I don't know, a sign, maybe; a sign that we were meant for each other even fate decided to clear our way from any obstacles and kidnapper and torturer and rapist and, umm, basically any bad things. But you get what I mean, right? Everything went so smoothly that I just knew it must be the right thing to do. The rest is history.

Arata is not really a passionate or romantic person. He is more, well, a tender person. He always treats me with respect and so much gentleness that I have never known before. Never before I feel so...treasured. And this new experience makes me feel giddy.

When he said he wanted a family with children, I can imagine me and him and our children spending family time together in our cozy apartment. Not as big as someone's penthouse, of course, but it will be a warm place where our little family can always go back to after a day fighting the big bad world.

Lately I can't help but think, while Arata is more like a firefly, soft, calm and soothing, Asami is like fireworks, full of explosion, colors, and surprises. If Arata is a steady mountain that will always be there, Asami is a thunderstorm that comes and goes without permission. If Arata is the sweet taste of vanilla, Asami's taste is more like...

Wait. Did I just compare the two of them? And what on earth does Asami's taste like? Why do I even think about how he taste in the first place? And why now after all this time?

I shook my head hastily and cover my face with both my palms. It must be because of this gloomy storm. It just makes me feel more and more lonely. I decided I had enough of this self-pity. I switch the TV channel and try to distract my mind with the news of a high-class party in some high-class socialite's mansion. It seems that the cameraman shots the scene from the balcony above to the dancing floor below. The anchorwoman keeps commenting about all the important people that appear in the party and their partners and their scandals and so on and so on. But my eyes were already glued to a damn sexy man on the first floor who stood in full confident while he glanced up towards the camera; as if he knows I am watching him through my TV screen at that very moment. Just like the first time I saw him through my viewfinder. Not that it is possible. This is not even a live show. And I just choose the channel randomly.

But I guess, there is just no way you can ever be sure which ones are possible and which ones are not when it involve Ryuchi Asami.

* * *

**Part 2. Something Old, Something New, and Something Normal**

_Slowly, I opened my eyes. Oh, no, no, wrong decision! Close it again! It's too bright. I enjoyed the complete darkness that engulfed me while I built the courage to open my eyes again. Even slower this time. Ahh, that was much better._

_The roof that I looked at was familiar. Our bedroom. In our home. I was home. I didn't really remember why, but somehow an overwhelming relief flooded me. Tears were threatening to fall from the edges of my eyes and I blinked rapidly to push them back. It didn't work. Trying to lift my hand to brush the stubborn drops away from my cheeks, I growled with the pain that shot from my lower back all the way to the shoulders. What the hell? That bastard Asami must had fucked me senseless six ways to Sunday._

_I tried to move and listed the damage the bastard had done. Strange, my body felt pain in a bad way, not in a oh-i-just-get-laid way. And I couldn't remember anything that bastard did as well. Oh, talking about the bastard, where was he? Why wasn't he here waking me up with all his dirty tricks? _

_Note to self: check his body temperature, he must be sick that he skipped his dose of morning sex. _

_I dragged my body to a half sitting position and noticed the bandages around my shoulder. And in my forehead. And all the bruises in my chest and stomach and..._

_...and it all came back to me._

_Russia. Mikhail. Yuri. Human trafficking. Rapes. Auction. Blond slave girls and blue eyes boys. A lot of shouting. Gun. Fire. Asami._

_Oh my God, Asami! Where was he? Was he okay? Wait, I was here, so he should be okay, right? But what if he didn't make it? What if...?_

_I turned around abruptly and immediately regretted moving so fast. Dizziness and nausea caught me unprepared. Okay, maybe I shouldn't move that fast no matter how worried I was. Not one of my brightest idea, obviously._

_Ah, there he was. I released my breath that I unconsciously held. Sitting on the chair, head falling to the front, arms crossing in front of his chest, deeply sleeping. He must be very tired that he didn't notice that I was awake. He was usually a very light sleeper. One sudden movement was enough to wake him with a gun ready in hand. Habit dies hard, he explained to me calmly after one incident involving a box of cotton buds and strawberry jam. _(Don't ask!)

_But now, here he was. Falling deeply asleep like a newborn baby. His shirt wasn't buttoned and hanged open in the front showing off his delicious muscular torso. It was really tempting to lick those sexy nubs on his chest. Hmm, grinning, I started to wonder whether he pretended to sleep on purpose. _

_Oh, he must be really tired to be caught in such a defenseless state. I couldn't keep my face from smiling seeing his head keep falling around. Slowly I crawled towards him. Looking at him like this, he almost looked...human _(Well, he IS human, but you know, sometimes he looks more like God than a mere mortal)_. A man who was simply worried about his lover _(me!)_ that he needed to stay at my side though he was..._

_...hurt?_

_It was then that I realized the bandages covering most of his chest and all his left shoulder. He must have covered me from the fire while holding me with his right arm. Another bandage were just above his left eye. I could see some of his beautiful silky hair was a bit burnt just around that particular bandage. And there were fresh scrape of wound along his strong neck. How many other injury was hidden under his clothes? Or, worse, under his mask of calmness? And all of that is because of what? A twenty-five years old brat who couldn't stay still or follow his simplest instructions? _

_But, in my defense, what could I do? I had a job, a career. I couldn't just stay still every time he asked me to. Especially, without any explanation. How should I know he had business problem with the Russian if he didn't tell me? Couldn't he trust that I was mature enough to share his burden? What did he take me for? A high-class lady who needed protection from the harsh reality of life? A woman who just gave up her career once she got a rich husband to be a stay at home mom? A wife who obeyed whatever her husband said? Damn, even 21st century woman didn't really do all that anymore. In which era did he live?_

_But I know he did it out of love. He isn't the man who showed it with words, but his actions screamed all his feelings for me. Even I was not that stupid to ignore all the signs. My tears now were just uncontrollable. My body shook so hard as the reality hit me. I couldn't stop it. How could I when the truth was so harshly presented in front of me, in the form of the man I loved so damn much? _

_It didn't matter how much we love each other. Our life, Ryuchi's and mine, were not compatible. Our worlds would never match. Our jobs may kill the other. It would be either I died because of him or he died trying to save me. Let me be damned into the seventh hell if I ever let him die because of me. And even if it were me who died in the hands of his enemies, what would be left of him? I might as well deliver him in a silver plate to his rivals should he been blinded by revenge. Today, I found it the hard way that love alone was not enough to preserve a relationship._

_It hurt but I needed to admit it. Even when we loved each other, we were just not meant for each other. Period._

_There were no happy ending for us. Neither live-happily-ever-after. The clock had struck twelve times a long time a go. The spell had broken and the story has ended. There was no fairy godmother that would come to help us finding each other. But we both chose to be ignorant and pretended that nothing has ended._

_So, I cried. I howled. The thought was too painful. The memory was too saddening. The future without him was too scary. Everything was just too much._

_He woke up in panic. He asked me which parts of my body were in pain. He held me tight and tried to sooth me. He screamed for the doctor to come. He backhanded Kirishima when the man couldn't make the doctor come any sooner. And when finally the doctor came, he threatened to beat the poor doctor bloody if he couldn't reduce my pain. He vowed to find Yuri and swore all horrible kind of torture ever existed in the human history for every pain Yuri inflicted on me. He did everything he can. But he just didn't understand._

_So finally, when I could somehow control a shred of my emotion, with overflowing tears on my cheeks and extreme pain in my heart, I told him._

_'It is over, Asami. I've had enough. I just want something normal. Let me go. Please.'_

* * *

"I am not sure I have something appropriate for this kind of event, Arata, " I complain from where I bury my head deep inside my closet. A huge pile of clothes already starts to form behind my back. "Why do I need to come to this socialite party of yours anyway?"

Arata pops his head from the bathroom. "Oh come on, Aki. Just wear the suit you wear when you received the photography award last year."

I scowl. "I ruined the suit more than half a year a go, remember?" Finally, I grab a hopefully decent suit that I wore to a friend's wedding a few weeks a go. "And I don't need a suit for my job, anyway. But, you haven't answer my question. Why do I need to accompany you?"

Almost naked saved for my brief, I drag my chosen suit and lean into the bathroom door, looking at my nervous lover preparing for tonight's party. He glances at me through the mirror and raises his eyebrow at my provocative pose but simply answer, "I promised that I will make up for our ruined anniversary dinner last week. And both of us have been so busy this week, so I thought we could enjoy ourselves tonight."

His reserved reaction to my body is a bit disappointing actually. But I guess he is just way too nervous about this incoming event. Apparently the host is the head of a large and powerful group, a very prospective client. As one of their best business consultant, Arata has been chosen to be his company's representative to handle every projects related to said group. It is a huge opportunity for him. And the whole affair just shouts _'Promotion!'_ to all his colleagues. His success with this project is the seal needed for his promising consulting career and our future plan together.

"This party is limited for high class society only, Aki. We are lucky that we get the invitations because I handle their projects. There will be a lot of famous people, businessmen, celebrities, politicians, and people from a much different world from ours. It is something that we can't enter before and I want to share this opportunity with you. Because you are that important to me."

I keep quite while he is busy working on his tie. What can I say? _'Hey, no problem, love, I have never been interested in any high-class party and trust me, I have been to several of them with my ex crime lord lover. They are all just boring.'_? Arata doesn't even know about my history with Asami.

Not that I want to hide it from him, mind you. But, somehow I feel that it is just way too private to share with anyone. My secret affair with Asami that no one else outside Asami's trusted subordinates knows is too complex for anyone to understand. And I don't want to waste the memory shared with Asami just to make someone understand the intricacy of our relationship. Not even Kou, Takato, my parents, or Arata.

Hugging him from behind, I sigh, "Fine, if that is what you want, we will go to this whatever party so you can impress whoever important person there for the sake of whichever project you have worked so hard for."

Smiling, he looks back at me through his shoulder. "You will like it. Trust me."

What I will like is for us to just crawl back to bed and spend hours having sex and then cuddling each other into sleep. But I just give his cheek a peck kiss. Sometimes, Arata and I just have a completely different idea about what the other will like. But compromise is a part of being normal couple, isn't it?

* * *

**Part 3. An Hour Is All I Need to Fall For You**

I freeze. My heart freezes. The time freezes. Everyone around me freezes. Even the boring conversations quite down and freeze with me. I swear it really happens.

Arata walks a few feet in front of me. He never holds my hands or shoulder in public. But he notices that I have stopped and he looks back at me. The frown on his face sends his message clearly to me: _'Don't you dare to be rude and ruin this one chance I had. Act like you are part of them, with manner and class.'_

But can he blame me if my feet just stop moving as he lead me to the one man on earth I don't want to see, moreover talk to, ever again? And if said man is shock with my appearance in his damn party or smug that I come as he planned (if this is all really his damn selfish plan!), he doesn't show anything in his face. He just stands there in the middle of the room with a blank face and a beautiful brown haired lady in his arm. His eyes locked with mine for a few seconds longer than necessary before he turn into his lovely companion and said something that I can't hear into her ear. Something bugs me about that lady, but I am not sure what. Not jealousy, I assure you. And no, this is not denial.

Three damn years I have been away from him, and he hasn't changed at all. His silky black hair. His expensive suit and shoes. His broad shoulder and muscular chest. His strong arms and long legs. His sexy jaw and neckline. His tempting full lips. I swear I can even smell his cologne and a hint of his favorites cigarettes when I take a deep breath to calm myself. Though it is kinda impossible considering the distance between us. All about him is still sexy as fuck.

"Aki, come on. We need to greet Asami-sama first." Arata whispers harshly in front of me.

Absentmindedly, I just follow him. When a waiter passes nearby with a tray full of cocktails, I just grab a glass and drink several gulps nervously. I hear Arata makes the greeting and introduction but everything just feel so unreal to me.

"Asami-sama, thank you for inviting me. It is an honor for me to be here. Please meet my friend, Takaba Akihito."

He pushes my upper body low so I am strained to bow in front of Asami. By that time, I quietly decide that Arata and I really need to have a long deep conversation on how we should treat the other in public. But for now, I understand how important this is for him. So, I grit my teeth and force myself to say, "Asami-sama, it is nice to meet you."

When I look up through my lashes, I see that Asami just stares at me. He doesn't scowl nor he smiles. He waves his free hand lightly and I stand up. Looking at anywhere but him, I just sip my drink again to reduce my nervousness. Then, slowly, his signature smirk comes up.

"Takaba-sensei, I have heard so much about you. Your achievement in photography world is really impressive. I heard about your awards from Photography Society last year. The photo that wins the award is simply breath taking." His baritone voice seems to charm everyone's, but I already choke myself with the drink I had sometime after the word 'sensei' is out of Asami's mouth.

I cough so hard and I can feel Arata's glare on my back. If look can kill, I will be dead by now. From my point of view coughing, I can see Arata's hand shaking a bit, a definite sign of his embarrassment.

"I'm -" I cough, "-sorry," More coughs from me, "Asami-sama."

But Asami just smiles politely and pats my shoulder once, "Oh, no, no, I am sorry. I don't mean to embarrass you. Sensei is very humble and my words must have made you awkward. But every word I said is a pure compliment, as you deserve, Sensei."

I can feel Arata's relief beside me. But my attention right now is directed to the golden eyes man in front of me. I look back at Asami in suspicion. His face doesn't look like he mocks me. Nor does he look at me with proud; the same way he did years back every time he talked about my achievement. It is a sincere word, but only for a stranger. For someone he just met. Not a friend, and definitely not a lover. And somehow, for a reason unknown to even me myself, I feel a forgotten pain from a long time a go stabbing my heart. Again.

* * *

I don't really pay attention to the rest of the event. I think Arata walks around to greet all the important persons that he knows and being introduced to some more important persons. Me? I just want to get out of there as soon as possible. So the first chance I get, I go outside to get some fresh air to clear my head until Arata decides we can go home.

I find a seat in the garden, hidden away from the crowd inside. I sit and start to remove my suit. The weather is quite warm.

"His friend, huh?" His voice behind me makes me jump instantly.

I turn around and there he is. As sexy as ever, the incarnate of the Sex God himself, I am sure. No way a mere mortal can still look deliciously sexy after all that years.

I growl low, "That is none of your business."

He just looks at me with eyes full of lust while we stand facing each other. Leisurely, he moves closer, and I don't even dare to breathe, afraid that whatever reasoning ability I still have left will be gone once I smell his scent. When he suddenly traces my cheek with the back of his hand, just the tip of his knuckles touches my skin; I can't stop my body from trembling. Asami puts his other hand on my hips. His thumb makes a slow circle on me and works its way down. I can feel the heat in my face and somewhere inside my brain, my remaining consciousness screams '_Danger!_" at me.

"You still blush easily, " he murmurs near my ears. His voice sounds husky and it melts almost all of my remaining brain cells.

"Asami, sto-"

Whatever I am going to say is cut when he grabs my head crudely and presses his lips to mine. His warm breathes tickling my flesh and I can feel my arousal starts pooling in my groin. I struggle to get out of his arms. I try to hit and kick him but damn the man is still as strong as ever. He holds me still and roughly sucks my bottom lip, hands groping me everywhere. I can't even stop the moan that escapes my throats. He chuckles softly at the sounds that I create before he thrusts his tongue deep into my throat. He is not gentle at all. Hell, Asami doesn't do gentle. But it seems my body miss his brutal way. In fact, it seems it craves for it. The rougher his treatments are, the harder my dick becomes.

This is madness. But I can feel my will to fight fades away and I start to lean towards him. I want to kiss him back. I want to touch his body. I want to do whatever is possible to satisfy the hunger I have long ignored.

He corners me into a tree, completely away from anyone who may want to take a look at the beautiful garden. His thigh spreads my legs apart and I gladly circle my arms around his neck, resting my back on the tree and putting most of my weight on him. When his lips finally leave mine, I whine. He clamps my mouth with his left hand to prevent my frantic whimper to attract unwanted attention. His other hand unevenly massages my cock through my pants.

"Listen, Akihito, we need to make this quick and quite. For now. Okay?" His baritone voice is all that I focus on right now. At this point, though, I simply don't care anymore. He is all I want. The rest of the world can go to hell for all I care. He can ask me to run around the ballroom naked and I may just agree as long as he keeps having his way with me. So I nod abruptly. He smirks arrogantly at my desperation.

Asami quickly moved us around; my hands on the tree, my body bent on my waist, my pants pooled around my ankle, and his hands on my hips in a bruising grip. I recognize this position immediately but I still gasp when he grinds his huge erection into the crease of my ass. I know he doesn't even slip down his own pants, only opening the zipper and putting out his cock. My years of relationship with him taught me exactly what he is doing: he wants to show me who is in control in our relationship, if there is any relationship at all. And that is not me. I can feel heat creeps up into my entire face. Taken outside like an animal, without preparation or anything. What a way to greet each other again after three years apart. Tears start gathering at the edge of my eyes.

Somehow it seems he notices my sudden angst. Keeping one hand on my lower back to keep me in place, he bows low until his chest rests on my back and holds my face so I halfway facing him. He sucks my neck, licks my jaw, and then whispered in my ear, "I am not going to stop. I miss you way too much to stop. And it looks like you miss me too," he brutally grab my hard cock, "Be with me and you can keep your dear 'friend' if you want something normal. "

_Please_. I can hear that magic word at the end of his sentence, as loud and clear as my sobs, though it will never be said. Most people think that the great Asami-sama doesn't ask. He commands. But I know Asami too well. He does ask to certain people who he cares about, even though the request is still hidden in the form of a command. It is the slightly different tone and voice that gives it away, something you won't notice unless you are extremely familiar with the way he talks. If I expect him to ask my approval for anything he is about to do, this is the best I could get. And it is enough to break the last of my defense.

I nod my consent to him. Closing my eyes I murmur, "Mark me yours."

So, he thrusts. And keep thrusting. Hard. I hold anything I can grip in front of me. The pain is almost unbearable. My body feels like it is burning. I can't scream. I hardly even breath. I feel like the last of my voice stuck in my throat and I can't get it out. It reminds me of this ride I went when I was small. I sat inside a ball that was dropped from 50m, reaching over 120kph. I wanted to shout, but I found that I couldn't make any sound.

When my sobs finally get louder, he shuts my mouth with his hand. He bites me wherever he could and even with all the pain, I meet him thrust to thrust. It is not long until his movement becomes fast and uncontrolled. His breaths become heavier. And I know he is close. He grabs my cock in a grip bordering pain and pleasure, and he shots his cum into me.

"Akihito, " he softly whispers my name on my ear. It is what throws me into an orgasm and soon I come chanting his name silently as his hand still clamps my mouth shut.

_Ryuichi. Ryuichi. Ryuichi. Ryuichi._

Thinking back, I am sure I must be crazy. It hurts so much and I still can come. But in the afterglow of my orgasm, the strongest one I had in years, I can't even think about how weird or perverse it is. It is hard enough for me to stand on my own feet. Asami holds me in his arms and let me lean on him. He calls Kirishima who apparently stays on guard nearby with instruction to bring me back to my apartment. Kirishima hands him something; a towel, I guess. Asami uses it to clean me then he puts my clothes back. I want to argue with him, I want to say that I need to look for Arata first, but I don't have any more strength.

Half asleep already, I finally manage to force myself to ask him, "I thought you don't like to share." I need to understand what this means, to me, to Arata. For long moments on the way to his limo, he doesn't answer.

When he finally puts me down on the car's seat with soft kisses on my forehead, almost fully asleep, I think I heard him saying, "And I still don't share. You belong to me and only me. If you want to keep a dog to feel a sense of normalcy, I am sure it can be," he paused, "...arranged. With my permission, of course." I feel more kisses on the top of my head. I don't understand what he means. I want to ask, what dog? I am not even a dog person. But my mind decides that it is time to shut everything down and I embrace the darkness that covers me.

[End of Chapter 1]


	2. Chapter 2 Things You Do For Love

**Part 1. Sacrifice Isn't Something to Regret**

When I wake up, I see Arata in front of our closet, putting clothes into his luggage. My heart breaks. My first thought is that he knows. He knows what I did last night and now he leaves me for betraying him.

"Arata...wait." I try to convince myself that I can still fix this.

He turns around with a smile on his face. Standing up from his pile of clothes, he slowly walks over to me.

Okay, wait. Something doesn't fit my first suspicion here. My next thought is that he already knew everything from the beginning. He lies to me. Asami pays him to be with me. Maybe even to spy and control me. And this thought doesn't make me feeling any better than the previous one. I can feel nausea creeps up from the deep of my stomach.

But he simply sits in front of me and kisses my lips gently. "Good morning, Aki, love," he says while brushing one of my stubborn bangs that covers my eye. I don't need to mention that I am speechless.

"Asami-sama told me that you didn't feel well last night so he arranged that you can leave early," he continues. I keep silent. I don't know what Asami told him and I don't want to ruin everything by blabbing. "We should thank him later. I am sorry I didn't notice it earlier. But he is so kind to help you. It seems he really admires your photos. But it is enough about him. Do you feel better already?" he asks me softly. His hand keeps rubbing my lower back in an effort to sooth me. I don't know what to say. '_Sweet Arata, you don't know how much your great Asami-sama helped me last night.'_?

"Yes," I murmur. "What time is it now? And why do you pack? When do you arrive at home?" I can't keep from shooting my questions.

He chuckles, "Well, I can see that you feel well already. And to answer your question, it is 7 in the morning. I just arrived home at 5AM, I needed to go to office straight away from the party to make all the necessary arrangement before going back home to pack. That is why I really appreciate Asami-sama's help to send you back here," he pauses for a moment before he continues excitedly, "Asami-sama sealed the deal with my company last night. He said he was suddenly convinced that my company and I could improve his business. My boss was so ecstatic when I informed him. I swear he mentioned 'promotion' at least 4 times to me. Now I am leaving to Europe for a few weeks to handle one of Asami-sama's businesses there. I leave a note with my hotel details and phone number that you can contact."

There is so much information to process at once and I don't know where to start. "A few weeks? But we have dinner with your family this Saturday." Great, out of all the questions that are already on the tip of my tongue, I ask the most trivial one.

"I know," he puts more butterfly kisses along my jaw. Remembering how Asami sucks my neck just last night, I abruptly push him away. Arata takes my action as a sign of anger due to his sudden leaving to Europe, though, because he continues, "I know you don't like it when I suddenly need to go for a long time. I don't want to. But I have to do this. Asami-sama's approval last night means we are getting closer to our dream. We just need to endure it a bit longer. I am sure you can handle my family. Sometimes I think they even love you more than me." He laughs vibrantly. I am at loss of words.

I can't believe this. My poor boyfriend doesn't know anything. Asami hides it from him. And that bastard hooks my boyfriend through his company with this stupid business projects. Just like a fish, my boyfriend happily took the bait. I don't know whether I need to feel relieved or mad.

Does the bastard think he can lead me through my naive boyfriend around, ask me to do whatever he wants me to do, like a stupid dog doing any tricks his master commands to get a treat as its reward? Wait. Didn't he said something about a dog? What was it? I shake my head slowly. I can't remember anything after the mind-blowing orgasm last night.

I softly snort when I rewind what Arata told me just now in my mind. Asami said, he was '_suddenly convinced_'? Convinced by what? My moan? My cum? It is clear as the day that this business projects are merely a trap to bind me to him. Asami doesn't '_suddenly convinced_'. All his actions have been calculated long beforehand. It is clearly bullshits. And Arata is way too blinded with success that he believes Asami's blatant lies.

Arata takes a quick look at his watch before he says, "I am very sorry, Aki. But I am late already. I will contact you as soon as possible, okay?" He kisses me quickly on my lips. Then he stands, brushes my hair one last time, and grabs his luggage.

"I love you, Aki."

Staring at him like a complete idiot I am, I absentmindedly answer him, "I love you, too. "

* * *

I explain to the editors who call me that I am sick and need a rest. In fact, I just need to sort my thought. And being alone helps. Kou and Takato call me several times during that period, asking me to go out with them. I told them that I don't feel well. They laughs, teasing me that it is because Arata is away for a few weeks that I feel sick missing him. I laugh with them.

Asami send me a message on the first day. He asks how do I feel. Whether I am okay or not. Whether MY BODY is okay or not. I ignore him. I am so mad at him. But moreover, I am mad at myself for reacting so strongly at his stupid message. It looks like my body doesn't get the memo that the bastard just practically blackmails me into doing whatever he wants. Instead, I can feel my traitorous body starts to get aroused at the first prospect of having another rendezvous with the bastard. How on earth one fucking text message makes my cock half-erect in less than 5 seconds, I totally have no idea. There must be a scientific name for this kind of syndrome, though. Fortunately for me, Asami doesn't send anymore message after that. I don't think my sanity can stand more of his message.

Arata calls me every night. Our conversations always fill me with guilt. I feel really bad to hide the truth from him. I consider the possibility to explain everything through phone. But it just seems rude. This is something we need to discuss face to face. IF I ever decide to talk to him about this. Besides, he sounds so excited with this new project and opportunity, I don't have the heart to break his illusion. So, I decide to wait.

Saturday comes and I go by myself to Arata's family house. I bring his nephews and niece's favorites food. His family is larger than mine; his mother, father, older sister, 2 young nephews and 1 baby niece. His sister's husband left her with debt when she is pregnant with Arata's baby niece. It was around the time he meet me. She works now and his father helps to pay the debt as well, but it is just not enough. The debt is too much. Luckily Arata's income is quite stable for the last few years and he supports his family a lot. His care with his family is one of the reason I love him so much.

His mother welcomes me as she opens the door. Sadness and stress makes her ages faster, and lately she starts getting sick often. I am really worried about her like I will to my own mother. As she hugs me tight, I tease her, "You will choke me to death at this rate, Aiko-san."

With a smile on her face, she replies, "It is 'mother', Aki. I see you as my own son, already. I hope you can see me as your own mother as well."

Her words that usually warm me up, now stab me directly at the most sensitive part of my heart. But I force myself to smile and answer, "Thank you, mother."

All Arata's nephews and nieces run downstairs after that. Once they see me, they jump towards me. Each one asks for my attention. His father waves at me from the living room while his sister is busy at the kitchen. I come to the kitchen with the food that I bring. Mariko kisses me on the cheek before pushing me away to the living room. She can handle the cooking and let the guest of honor enjoys the night, she said.

I know I am lucky. It is not often a family welcomes their son's boyfriend so openly. In fact, I am sure it is quite rare not only in Japan but also in most Asian country. But Arata's family welcomes me with open hands. And for that, I feel so thankful. Sometimes, I think, their horrible experience with his sister's husband helps them to accept our relationship easier.

All the way during the dinner, I can't help but ponder that somehow I have cheated not only to Arata, but also to his family. It makes me feel really bad. But at the same time, I also realized that a small part of me feel relief to meet Asami again. For whatever reason it may be, I feel really alive after all these years. It is so confusing and I am not the type who dwells too much in self-pity, so I decide to put it aside. What will be will be.

On my way out after the dinner, Aiko-san stops me in front of the door.

"Thank you, Aki. We are really grateful for you being Arata's partner. He changes since he met you. I see that he now knows his purpose in life. Before it seems like he was lost, working hard without any meaning. He also cares more with his family. It is all thanks to you. I know it is hard for you that he has so little time left, especially since now he will need to focus on his big projects. But trust me that he does that for your future together. He always wants to make you happy. So, stay with him, okay? Please, Aki, this is my only request."

I choke. I blink my eyes several times to push my tears back. I don't know what to say or what to do. If I talk, I feel like I will break down in front of her and tell her all the hard truth that will just break her heart. And she already has enough in her plate without having to grief on mine. So I just nod.

I don't really remember how I get home. My body just moves automatically since my brain refuses to do its work properly. If I let my brain think, even for a second, it will only think about all the unhappiness. And right now, I don't have the time or the energy to sink deeper in misery.

The first thing I do when I arrive at home is to call Arata. He answers my phone at the third rings.

"What will happen if you give up those projects?" I abruptly ask him without saying hello.

He is silent for a while before his soothing voice answers me softly, "Oh Aki, I am very sorry to leave you alone for a long time. But we both know I can't lose these projects. It is a big opportunity for the company. Ruining this opportunity is a direct ticket to lose my job. And with my family situation, I can't afford to lose my job."

'_No, it is not being alone that I have a problem with!_' I want to scream to him. But then, he will ask for more explanation and what can I say to him? There are too many secrets I don't even know where to start. One secret just lead to another, it is like an infinite loop.

"I can help to support your family. My income from freelancing is doing very well lately," I try to argue.

I can hear him sighs. "Aki, I can't burden you with my family issue. Besides, your freelancing job is not that stable as well. Please, Aki, I never complain about your job before. No matter how far you go or how long you leave. I know that it is your dream, your passion. Could I ask you to do the same for me?"

And I just don't have the answer for that because what he said is simply the truth. Never once he stops me from chasing any picture. Nor he complains when I can't contact him in any way for weeks or even months due to limited phone coverage and Internet connection. He always supports my dreams, always being so understanding about my passion. I decide that the least I could do is to support him now.

It is just 5 minutes after I end my call when I hear my front door bell rings. It is Kirishima. I start to think that Asami has bugged my apartment without me knowing. How else does the bastard know that it is the perfect time to break my last resistance?

"Asami-sama wants your presence, Takaba-sama. Just bring some clothes, for now. You can always get more later. Don't worry; everything has been arranged. I personally will make sure that Takagi-san," his tone when mentioning Arata's name somehow betrays his politeness in addressing Arata "-will have enough things to keep him busy somewhere as long as it is needed. I do hope, however, you don't make this more difficult than it should be."

"Please be honest with me, Kirishima-san, did he plan everything from the beginning?"

Kirishima looks hesitate for a moment, before answering my question carefully, "No, he didn't. You met this Takagi boy by pure coincidence. Neither did Asami-sama influence him in any way. But he does receive a daily report about your life. When you left, your condition was," he sighs, " unsettling. He was deeply worried about you but he understood that you needed a break for a while. When Takagi came, he saw an opportunity. A way to give you what you needed so he let you keep this brat."

I know that he is being totally honest with me. He doesn't even bother to address Arata politely anymore. And for some very twisted reason that I immediately put aside for further thinking later, knowing that Asami still cares for me after all these year does make me flutter inside. I already admit the last time I met him that I am his. But it doesn't mean I have to agree with his sick way of doing things without any concern to those who will get hurt. So I just stand there staring back at Kirishima. A few minutes pass and it seems he finally realize that I won't move anytime soon. He sighs like he got so many more important things to do than explaining such a basic thing to an unreasonable brat.

"I always like you, Takaba-sama. You are," he pauses as if he tries to find the best way to say it, "different from the others. You are honest and you don't seek for wealth or power from Asami-sama. So I will give you this piece of advice. Asami-sama is the king, and the king takes what he wants. You can play along and survive or fight it and lose everything. The choice is yours, but from what I overheard during your last, " he takes a deep breath before continue, "meeting with Asami-sama, I assume that you approve of this arrangement already."

I snicker at his words.

"What?" he asks me with a frown.

I shake my head, "Nah, somehow your words reminds me about this TV series. There is this king who always takes what he wants. He also likes to enjoy his whores with his personal guard just outside the door, you know, able to hear everything. He ends up being murdered by his queen, who apparently has an incest affair with her own twin brother, the King's personal guard. Kinda complicated to explain. You need to watch it yourself. A lot of sacrifices and deaths and betrayals and murders, I am sure you will like it. Do you watch any series, Kirishima-san?" When he, in return, just stares at me with a harden expression since he heard the words 'being murdered', I laugh cynically, "Of course not. Give me a few minutes, will you? Let me change my clothes and pack my things so I can satisfy the king."

* * *

**Part 2. Ignorance Is Bliss**

Asami's penthouse looks exactly like how it is when I left. As I open the door to my smaller room, I notice that the room stays the same except for my camera case that I brought with me when I moved out and the fresh new bed sheet. Everything is clean, but inside the bin, I can see some crumpled failed photos that I threw there three years back before I went against his strict order to stay at home and ended in Russia. Receipts that I don't even remember anymore are scattered on my desk. My photos with my friends and family are still at the same place on my desk. Even my grocery lists that I stick into the board beside my bed are still intact. It is as if I had never leave in the first place.

It freaks me out a bit, actually. I feel like I am inside some movies about psychotic parents that can't accept their son's death so they keep his room the same way while kidnapping other boys who look similar just to kill them brutally. I chuckle at the thought. This is the normal world, Aki, not some cruel horror movie with cliché story.

I check every room leisurely; leaving Kirishima briefs a man I have never met before in the living room. The guard that is appointed for tonight, I guess. When I come back, Kirishima is alone, waiting patiently for me.

"He doesn't live here, does he?" My tone is flat as I confirm my suspicion since I first step back into this place.

Kirishima just turns at me and stares back blankly as if he doesn't understand human language.

"Oh please. Don't bother to pretend. I had lived with him for years. Do you think I am that stupid I can't see the difference?" When the man just keeps his silence, I roll my eyes and wave my hand around the living room, "The scent of this place is wrong. I can't smell his cologne or cigarettes anywhere. Not even in the main bedroom. And God knows how much he likes to smoke after sex."

Kirishima raises his eyebrow with an expression that I translate as, '_Are you a dog now?_'. But he doesn't say anything, so I continue as I count aloud all the reasons with my fingers, "There is not even a bottle of his favorite shampoo in his bathroom, and I know he will complain endlessly every time it happens. I can't find his ridiculously expensive whiskey in the kitchen. In fact, there is no liquor at all here. It is normal if there is no food, but alcohol? How can the man survive without it? I can list more if you want, but the point is the same. I know he doesn't live here." I cross my arms in front of my chest and stare back at Kirishima defiantly, challenging him to deny my notion.

But Kirishima just shrugs his shoulders and say, "Indeed, he doesn't."

I wait for more, but when nothing comes out from Asami's right hand man, I push further, "So, where does he stay until now? With his other lovers at his other penthouses? "

But Kirishima ignores my question. He turns toward the kitchen as he explains, "You can use whatever you need here, as you must already know. Asami-sama plans to come here tonight. I am sure-"

I grab his arm though I fail to turn him towards me. Damn, what is wrong with these people? How come they become so strong? Kirishima slowly turns to face me. He is taller than me so I look up at him.

"Please, Kirishima. I need to know what will happen to me. Will he stay here with me when I am available and then go back to his other lovers when I am not around? Am I just one of his whore that he bought with my boyfriend's job? Is that how this is going to be?" I know I sound desperate, but I can't help to hide the doubt and skepticism that pool in my stomach since I put my feet back in this place.

Kirishima gently removes my hands from his arms. I can see that he feels uncomfortable with my questions as his body stiffens. His voice seems cold to me when he says, "I am afraid, you need to ask him the details yourself, Takaba-sama. This is not something an outsider like me should be involved in."

His answer makes me sink even deeper into doubt and guilt and a hundred others unpleasant feelings that has became familiar to me in these few days. He must be able to see it in my face though because with a softer tone he clarifies, "He won't do something so complicated and troublesome like what he does for you if it is for a whore, Takaba-sama. As I said, you are different."

And with those words, he leaves me alone.

* * *

I heard Asami opens the front door around 2am in the morning. When he enters the living room, I automatically come to him and held out my hand for him, ready for our standard ritual years a go. He looks at me for a moment before he quietly puts his shoes away and gives his bag into my waiting hand. I place a kiss on his broad back gently while helping him to take off his coat and whisper softly, "Welcome back." He literally freezes for a few long seconds with his back towards me. Then I heard him murmurs, "I am home." Is it a slight hint of sadness that I heard in Asami's voice?

But when he turns around to kiss my forehead, it is his annoying smirk that lit up his face. I snort. I must be an idiot for even thinking to put 'sadness' and 'Asami' in the same sentence. Obediently, I hang his coat in the closet. As I follow him into the main bedroom, I explain, "Kirishima said you have dinner already. So, I didn't make you anything. Besides, you don't have any food here. I will do grocery shopping tomorrow. Is there anything specific you want to eat?"

Looking at me through the mirror, he shakes his head, "Anything will do."

I watch him taking off his cuffs and then slowly unbuttoning his own shirt. My heart rate speeds up when my gaze falls into the image of his solid chest reflected on the mirror. I look away and take a deep breath to calm myself. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. See, Aki, you can do it if you put your mind into it.

My attention snaps back to him when he throws his clothes in the general direction of the dirty laundry basket. And misses it, of course. I guess, some things are meant to never change. Smiling to myself, I gather his clothes that are scattered around the basket, and put everything inside.

When he hugs me from behind after that, I wait for the guilt and anger to fill my whole body like how it was for the past few days. But none comes. Instead, I feel so relaxed and safe inside his strong arms. It just doesn't make any sense. I should feel mad at him. I should feel guilty at Arata. I should hate myself. But I have had enough of unpleasant emotion for days that I welcome the contented feelings that overwhelms me now. My guilt for Arata, my anger with him, my doubt with myself; the more time I spend with Asami, the more all of those unhappy thoughts fade away into the background until none of that matters anymore. So, I lay my head back on his muscular chest and close my eyes to savor the moment.

He lazily licks my right earlobe and I gave a low moan of longing. I can feel his smile on my neck as he rewards my reaction with a hard suck on my neck. He always loves my aroused voice. It is a huge turn on for him when I loudly express my appreciation to his sexual advances.

But when he keeps sucking my jawline and I know it will leave a noticeable mark by tomorrow, I struggle to get out of his arms. He grabs my wrists in a bruising grip and, very roughly, jerks me back to him. His face is only a few inches apart from mine and I can feel his heavy and rapid breath. His cock is hard as steel on my stomach. It looks like my struggle just aroused him more. Not that I am not hard myself.

"Asami, people will see it," Looking at anything but him, I tell him through my gritted teeth.

He seizes my stiff cock and grins at me. "But you like it when I do it rough. You love my marks on you and the pleasurable pain that only I can give you. Stop denying it."

When I refuse to look back at him or say anything else, he yanks my pants and undies down. Bending me over the king-sized bed, he exposes my full ass in the air. My heart beats wildly in anticipation for what he will do to me. Whatever it is, I am sure it will be painful. So when I feel his warm and wet tongue makes its way along the crease of my ass, I gasp from the shock. He licks the outer ring of my back before he thrust his tongue as deep as he can. Shouting his name loudly mixed with various incoherent sounds, I arch my body and spread my legs wider to give him more access. He chuckles at my reaction. But, thanks all the gods, he keeps licking, rimming, thrusting his skillful tongue into me. I may kill him on the spot should he stops.

Pre-cum leaks from my cock. It is so good. In fact, it feels amazingly good I feel I can come from his tongue alone. The overwhelming sensation is just too much to handle. My cock is very hard that it starts to hurt. I shouldn't have any problem with coming. And I want to come. But, apparently, I can't. Frustration brings tears into my eyes and I try to lower my hips so I can have more friction with the bed. But he holds me firmly in place.

"Asami...I...I can't. I can't take it anymore." I start sobbing.

He laughs at my desperation. "I can continue being gentle for hours, Akihito, and trust me, it won't be enough for you to come. Why can't you see by now that the only way you can reach those mind-blowing orgasms is by accepting whatever I give you?"

He continues teasing me very slowly as if he has all the time in the world. God, this is agony. I shriek and squeak but he ignores me. Then I start to fight him back, to get away from him, but he simply grips my hips tighter and holds my wrists with his other hand. Finally, when I realize nothing else will work, I beg him.

"Please, Asami...whatever you want, please, just...just...let me come." By that time, tears already stream down my cheek. I have lost track of time but it feels like forever already since he starts.

He stops. And very carefully he helps me stand. My body shakes so hard, my cock feels so painful, and my feet can't hold my weight on their own. I am relieved that he stops his teasing, believing that the real event will happen soon. He looks at me with amusement in his eyes but doesn't make any other movement to end my misery other than grinding our cocks lazily. The bastard clearly enjoys torturing me. He may already make it his sole purpose of living.

Through a layer of frustration tears, I push back my cock into his, "...Asami, please?"

He tilts his head as if he is considering my offers seriously. Golden eyes never leave mine. Smirk decorates his delicious lips. It must be painful for him as well, holding his own arousal back for so long. But if he hurts, he doesn't show it all. Finally, he shrugs his broad shoulders while grinning at me, which I translate as, _'That is not the action and words that I am waiting for, Akihito'_.

His other hand moves to my ass, finger teasing on my ring muscle. I jerk from his touch but he still holds my wrists tightly that my movement is strained. Slowly, his finger enters me. For a while the finger just slides in and out. It feels incredible I arch my whole body and push back into his finger. When the second finger joins the first one and he starts scissoring, stretching, I can't stop the continuous whimper that escapes my throat. One of his fingers bumps that spot inside me that makes me shout his name loudly. And he keeps pressing and brushing the spot on purpose.

In my desperation, I yell at him, "Ryuchi...please...your cock...hard." It seems my brain just loses its ability to form a full sentence. All the sensation mixes together and destroys every control I have. I don't even sure what I am trying to say.

His laugh is maddening. But finally, thanks to all deity out there, he sits on the edge of the bed and moves me to straddle him. When he tries to position me on top of his cock, I push his hand away. He freezes. But I quickly spread my ass cheeks with one hand while holding onto him with the other. I lock my eyes with his and kiss him hard. I suck his tongue and bite his lower lips. Smirking, he raises his eyebrow at my eagerness.

When I push down into his cock, the sensation of his thick cock filling me is the only thing I can focus on. He groans. Asami is not an expressive lover in bed. So hearing his rare aroused voice always makes me feel so powerful. I can feel my ass twitches around his cock; he immediately slams his hips hard into me and starts thrusting. Deeper. Harder. Faster. Until we both move in one harmonious rhythm that cause a thrill along my spine. I kiss his lips, lick his erected nipples, grind my hard cock into his stomach, and touch him wherever my hands can reach. He thrust so hard I can see stars at the back on my eyes and he grunts louder than ever. Somehow, I feel proud knowing that it is me who makes him lose his icy control.

Until my phone rings in full volume from the living room. It takes time for me to register that it is my ring tone. And when I finally do, I halt my movement. Or at least, I try to. Not caring about the distraction at all, Asami continues thrusting into me. But I push him as hard as I can and shout at him.

"Asami, stop! It may be emergency! Someone got an accident or something. It could be Takato...or Kou...or...or my parents." People that I know don't usually calls early morning unless it is important. The idea of my parents lying on hospital bed makes something inside my stomach churns violently.

Fortunately, Asami stops when I mentioned my parents. My cock already loses half of its will to stay erect when I pull myself away from him and run into the living room naked. My heart beats so fast for a completely different reason now compared to a few minutes a go.

It is a call from an unknown number and I feel unease. Who is it? What is so important that they call this late (or this early, depending on how you look at it, of course)?

I look up at Asami who stands naked leaning on our bedroom doorframe. He crosses his arms in front of his chest while waiting for me to answer the phone. So, I press the 'Answer' button.

"Hello?"

"Aki, love? Are you still awake? You sound breathless," a familiar voice washes the last of my arousal away.

I lock my eyes with Asami's before answering softly, "Arata..."

* * *

Kirishima waits patiently for Asami-sama in front of the limo door. The guard who stays outside the penthouse says that the boss already went downstairs 5 minutes a go. So he should be here anytime soon.

He is expecting his boss to come with a good mood after spending the night with his lover. So he is really surprised to notice that the boss is in a total bad mood, proven by how Asami-sama snaps at the driver for a very trivial mistake. The poor man still trembles when he goes into the driver seat with the thought of how close he is to death.

Kirishima curses silently. What did the boy do now? Doesn't he know that it is the outside world that pays the price for any trouble he creates? But being the loyal secretary that he is, he keeps his mouth shuts. If Asami-sama wants to discuss it with him, he will do that in his own pace.

They quickly run through Asami-sama's schedule for the day. It will be a hard day full of meetings, negotiations, threats, and appointments. But he already leaves Asami-sama's schedule clears after 9pm today. It takes heaven and hell to move around the schedule, but he finally managed to do it late last night. His boss has mentioned yesterday that he wishes to come home early when his boy is here.

Once he finishes reading his boss' entire schedule, he passes him some documents that need quick approval. His boss, not one that allows emotion being mixed with business (or his real business, to be exact), reads each document carefully despite his black mood. It is halfway through the pile of documents that he heard Asami-sama's order.

"From now on, make sure to give that damn dog more tasks than what he can handle. Make mundane tasks if you have too. Buy some bankrupt company for him to fix or something. Tell him to count the stars for all I care. I want him to be too fucking busy to even go peeing, moreover to make a phone call. Push the dog's stupid company so they will work him into the bone. Tell them I will cancel the deal if he can't perform as expected."

Ah, so that is the problem. Kirishima feels disappointed with himself for failing to anticipate this issue before it appears.

"Please consider it's done, Asami-sama. I am terribly sorry for overlooking this problem. I will take extra care from now on," he bows his head as a form of apology. His boss just nods slightly without moving his attention from the documents in his hand.

He takes note for himself not to push the dog too hard though, no matter what his boss said. It may give the opposite effect. He considers blocking any call from the dog, but once that damn dog comes home, he must ask the boy what is wrong with his phone. It is just too suspicious if it happens often. Maybe he can also set up some freelance projects in a place without phone coverage for Takaba-sama every now and then. It will give his workaholic boss some time to rest, too. He also remembers hearing about service that helps people to create excuses and alibi for the client while they cheats with their lover. He puts it in his note to call the company right away. There is nothing that can't be bought by money nowadays. Especially with the amount of money like Asami-sama has. The man can literally buy the whole Japan just for fun. Not that he needs to do that; the country is practically under Asami-sama's control already.

He doesn't want to shove that dog to the wrong direction, though. It will do no one any good should the dog decide to have an affair of his own or to break up with Takaba-sama. He frowns. If that happens, he could always put his Glock on that stupid dog's forehead and asks him nicely to become Takaba-sama's pretend boyfriend. But of course, Takaba-sama will not be happy if he finds out. And usually, what makes Takaba-sama unhappy will make his boss unhappy as well. Unless it involves sex, he guesses.

Inaudibly, Kirishima sighs. What did the boy call himself last night? Asami-sama's whore? He shakes his head a bit so not to attract his boss attention to his thought. That boy really doesn't understand his own value, does he? Whores are those slave-boys worked in underground S&M clubs that Asami-sama beat half dead every now and then since Takaba-sama left. Whores are the light brown hair girls and boys with hazelnut eyes (or hazelnut soft lenses, in fact) who are being paid to act, live, and have sex like Takaba-sama. Right now, there are two of them, one boy and one girl who each live in two of Asami-sama luxurious condos, accommodated with every luxury those two will never seen in their pitiful life should Kirishima never encountered them and saw their eerie similarities with Takaba-sama. These whores don't even know who it is they try to imitate. The only thing they know is that Asami-sama has a very specific preference when it comes to bed partner.

There were more of these kept whores before. But sooner or later, these last two will also make a mistake that their predecessor did by doing something that is totally unlike the real Takaba; from something as trivial as calling him with endearment nicknames to being too willing during sex. Then Asami will order their death. In another case, Asami-sama's enemies will kidnap them thinking it is his famous-but-always-hidden-lover and Asami-sama will easily let these Takaba-sama's doubles go, laughing cynically when the kidnapper tries to negotiate. His boss even gives away a few of these replicas to his rivals as they calmly discussing their shady dealing while watching the poor light brown hair being raped for everyone's entertainment. Over the time, his enemies, rivals, and unaware allies start to wonder whether the secretive light brown hair lover is truly exists or if he does exist, whether he is even still alive. Only few trusted allies know for sure, like Fei Long and...well, in fact, only Fei Long knows now since Asami-sama decided to eliminate Mikhail together with Yuri. But his taste in light brown hair young men and women becomes so well known that he often finds himself being entertained with that specific types by his business partner lately. Some daughters from powerful politician and famous celebrities even dye their hair in light brown in desperate effort to attract his attention.

Either way, Kirishima also put it in his notes that he will need to find another person to replace these replicas soon. It is easy to find someone who is willing to do that with all the compensation he/she will receive: huge amount of money each month, luxurious condo, cars, clothes, prestige, and a lot of sex with the sexy crime lord. There are a lot of people who will be blinded easily with that kind of incentive and Kirishima found during his early period of collecting light brown hair pretties from all over the countries that he could just snap his fingers and another willing body with light brown hair will enthusiastically replace the old one to serve Asami-sama. The harder part is to teach each of them how to act, to dress, to talk, and even to have sex like the real one. He closes his eyes as headache starts to form. It may be much easier and cheaper if they can just clone his boss' lover. But cloning doesn't guarantee that they will have the same personality, does it?

Of course, that boy will always be ignorant of what happen around him. Even now, he must be deeply asleep in Asami-sama's soft bed and warm blankets; unaware of the suffering he brings to people due to his careless actions. Not that Kirishima gives any fuck to the suffering of other people. Other people basically are just another property for him, like any other objects in this world, can easily be bought and sold for money. There are few people that he cares about and only one person he respects and serves through heaven and hell, Asami-sama. The boy is one of the few people he cares about but his full loyalty is and always will be for Asami-sama. He is willing to give even his life for Asami-sama anytime and anywhere. And for the sake of Asami-sama, he agrees that the boy better stays innocent from the cruelty of Asami-sama's world.


	3. Chapter 3 What You Don't Know Won't Hurt

**Hi, I want to say thank you to everyone who spent time to read the story, moreover to review, follow, like, and messages me. When my friend told me to publish this fanfic here, I didn't expect anyone to like the story. Actually, I literally planned to keep it hidden in my laptop forever. Haha. I really appreciate every input/feedback/comment. Feel free to let me know whatever you likes/hates about the story. I will also fix the problem some people mentioned in their review (including Asami's name in previous chapter). Thank you!**

**PS. I should have released this chapter a few days a go. But unfortunately, I was sick. So, I released this chapter together with the next one. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own VF and all its characters. I don't know much about Japan politics and government and everything I wrote is just fiction.**

* * *

**Chapter 3. What You Don't Know Won't Hurt You**

_"Of course, Watanabe-san. Yeah. I don't have problem with the offered fee at all. I just want to think about it first. You know I haven't got any experience taking this kind of photo. I don't want to let you or Fujimoto-sama down. No. No. Of course. I will let you know my decision by tomorrow. I hope Fujimoto-sama will understand."_

_I rolled my eyes at Arata with a teasing smile on my face, making various mocking gestures that more or less meant, 'He keep talking, I don't even listen to what he says anymore' as I listened to Watanabe's non-stop chattering. He grinned back at me and winked his eye as he prepared the salad for our dinner. Thankfully, Watanabe finally realized that I wouldn't decide right away no matter how long he tried to convince me. So after my countless attempts to end our conversation, I could finally hang up._

_"What does he want from you now?" Arata asked as I walked over to the kitchen counter to give him a kiss on his cheek. _

_I sighed, "He said there is this politican who was really really really really really -yes, he did say it at least five times, I counted it-," I told Arata with a laugh when he frowned at my hyperbolic statement, "Anyway, he wants me to handle the photographs for his political campaign. Apparently, it is Fujimoto Daiki whom everyone praises to be a politician who will bring the country into a new era blah blah blah. Watanabe said that he saw one of my photos I took in Africa, the one that just won an award, and he loves it. He thinks I can capture the people's heart and inspire other people through my photos. That is why he wants me to handle his entire campaign photographs. At least, that is what Watanabe told me." I shook my head slowly because I found the entire idea was somehow ridiculous. _

_Arata froze right after he heard the name. "Aki, Fujimoto Daiki-san is one of the prospective candidate to be the next Prime Minister. All over the newspaper and TV programs, people mentioned him as one of the good guys who play clean and fair. He is very strict on gangster and totally anti corruption. Everyone loves him. Survey said, he has the biggest chance to win the election. It will be a great opportunity for you to take this project," he argued._

_I shrugged my shoulders as I helped him to put the chicken to the pan, ready to fry it. "Well, I have never been one to believe in good guy VS bad guy, especially in politic. My point of view is there are both evil and virtue in everyone. Some guys are just looks better compare to the other in a certain perspective. But if we change our perspective slightly, the better guy may looks worse than the previously worse guy. If there is something that I learn from criminal photography-, " deep down in my heart I silently added, 'and my years becoming a lover of one hell of a crime lord' before I continued, "-it is that there isn't 100% good or 100% bad. The line between black and white can be so blur that in the end you will realize everything is just one huge grey-scale picture with hundreds of different perspective depending on which angle you take. Besides, I don't like politics."_

_Arata looked at me in disbelief like I suddenly grew another head and told him that I would give birth to his baby alien right there right then. I know what he thought. For Arata, it is not about the bad guy or the good guy. He believes we needed to take every opportunity that allowed us to climb the society ladder because those kinds of opportunities wouldn't come twice. In his opinion, taking every opportunity and working hard was the only way common people like us could become 'someone' and stopped being 'no one'. That was why he didn't understand at all why I even hesitated to take the offer. I thought sometimes, he just couldn't grasp the idea of working for one's passion or belief._

_Or maybe, it was simply because he didn't know. If it were money or prestige or power or status that I wanted in my life, I would have given up my job long time a go to rely my whole life on a powerful man who can grant me all those things at the snap of his fingers. I looked at Arata through my shoulder as he incredulously stared at me with an open mouth. Sighing, I tried to answer tactfully, "I will think about it, okay? Now get back to our salad, you lazy ass. I am damn hungry and I want to have my dinner at least before the sun rises again. And, at this moment, the prospect doesn't look very promising considering how slow you work on it."_

* * *

Walking into Asami-sama's spacious office with the his own assistant bringing a glass of orange juice and some snacks for the boy, Kirishima watches silently at Takaba-sama as the boy switches channels on the 110-inches Ultra HD TV. It was Friday night and as per their arrangement, the boy will have dinner together with his boss once a week, which usually are held every Friday. Sometimes, it was just a quite dinner at home. Other times, they will go out somewhere with private room.

Today, their plan is to go to a new boutique restaurant that also serves as a gallery. The restaurant currently hosts a photography exhibition that customers can enjoy while having their dinner. And Kirishima has booked the whole place for their private dinner. Unfortunately, Asami-sama suddenly has a last-minute meeting that can't be postponed. Which is why the boy now sits on the oversized but cozy sofa in Asami-sama's luxurious office, trying to find something to spend the time. Maybe it is time to add PS3 into the office, Kirishima decides.

Kirishima's assistant, Haruka, puts the orange juice and snacks at the side table near the boy. Then she bows low at her boss' lover and waits to be excused.

"Oh, come on, Haruka-san. Stop being so stiff. I told you not to bow and all. And thank you for the drinks and foods," the boy immediately stands and complains at Haruka's attitude.

Haruka knows better than being anything but polite towards this boy who is introduced as his boss' undisclosed partner, though. Kirishima briefs her himself though he doesn't explain much of the details. So she diplomatically answers, "Of course, Takaba-sama." Then she bows once again and leaves the room.

Good girl.

The boy shakes his head at her. After a while, giving up on correcting Haruka's attitude, he turns his attention back to the news on the TV.

"Hey, it is Fujimoto Daiki. I haven't heard about him for a while since he was arrested for getting caught bribing various parties and corrupting government project's funding for his political campaign half a year a go," the boy exclaims before looking at Kirishima who stands good-naturedly a few feet behind the sofa, "Right before he was arrested, he actually asked me to do the entire photography for his political campaign, you know. And when I declined, he doubled and even tripled his offer. Arata practically begged me to sign the contract every night since Fujimoto was a very promising candidate for the Prime Minister position by that time. When he was caught, everyone who was involved with his campaign went into hell together with him. Lucky, I didn't take the project. I don't like politics anyway." The boy waves his hand as a sign that the whole things don't interest him in the first place.

Of course, Kirishima knows every detail about that, but he just replies in a respectful tone, "Really? Then, it was a wise decision for you not to take his offer, Takaba-sama."

The boy raises his eyebrow at his comment and glances at him. There is a heavy silence for a while and somehow it makes Kirishima feels a bit of unease. What the boy says after that does make him hold his breath for a while.

"You see, Kirishima, I always notices that when you talk to me way too politely, it usually means you don't want me to know about something that you know," the brat said with a complete blank face, feigning innocent by tilting his head.

That damn brat is getting smarter! Kirishima's first reflex is to defense himself, denying what the boy said. But his experience with Asami-sama stops him from digging his own grave deeper by saying anything that will only infuse the boy's curiosity further. So, he simply sighs and tells him the half-truth, "Well, I do know about Fujimoto's offer to you. I am the one who handles the daily reports of your activity for Asami-sama. I would know everything about you even if I didn't want to know. What else do you want me to say? It was truly wise for a brat not to be involved in politics, it is not a toy for a boy like you."

The boy looks at him for a full minute and Kirishima tries his best to keep his cool. After a moment, it seems the brat believes that Kirishima doesn't hide anything else so he turns around to continue watching TV. Inwardly, Kirishima exhales his relief.

Of course Kirishima still remembers this Fujimoto Daiki bastard. It was a few weeks after Takaba-sama received his award from the Photography Society. He and Suoh accompanied Asami-sama into a secret meeting with Fujimoto in a high-class Japanese restaurant. Almost none knew that Asami-sama was the one who sponsor Fujimoto's actions. In fact, it was Asami-sama himself who nurtured the good looking politician long before he gained his popularity through some of his radical moves; ones that was suggested personally by Asami-sama so he could add Fujimoto into his extensive pawn collections in the government.

The two loyal subordinates sat quietly at the corner of the room while their boss and his stupid doll enjoyed the dinner, discussing the incoming election and steps that Fujimoto should take to win it. It was when Asami-sama asked about Fujimoto's plan for his campaign that the idiot made his first blunder. Kirishima still memorizes what he said even until now.

'Ah, have your heard about Takaba Akihito, Asami-sama? I saw his photos that win an award from the Photography Society. I think he will be great in doing the photograph for the campaign,' the man laughed disgustingly before continued, 'Considering how much I offered him, I am sure he will accept the project. Then he can work for my campaign and my other-', he paused a while for effects, '-needs.'

Kirishima could detect Asami-sama's anger by the way he froze upon hearing Fujimoto's idea. It was not that other people would notice the difference. Asami-sama is very good at hiding what he truly thinks about people. It was an art he had perfected during his years ruling the underground world. But Kirishima had worked for him long enough to notice how his jaw slightly stiffened and his eyes grew discreetly icy, even when his smile was still on his lips.

'I beg your pardon, Fujimoto. I am not sure I understand what you mean by "your other needs".' Asami-sama gave that idiot a chance to correct himself. Not that he deserved any of it.

The politician just chuckled as if what he said was one of the funniest joke ever existed in the human history as he explained, 'You see, Asami-sama, being such a great person, you may not notice it. But your preference with light brown hair men and women has somewhat became a trend among the elites. Now, light brown hair pretties are totally in and everyone wants to have one or more of their own. Of course, I want to follow your steps as well. And when I saw that freelance photographer on some news, I knew he would be perfect. I am sorry to be this blunt,' he whispered in conspirational tone, 'but I can see that his ass is definitely one to die for; I can't wait to taste it myself. Imagining his lithe body writhing beneath me is enough to give me a hard on. I am surprised that you haven't noticed him yourself. I think he totally fits your usual type. If you want, I can share him with you.'

Sometime during his absurd speech, Kirishima swore that he could feel that the temperature in the room decreased at least a few degrees. He had no idea how come the idiot didn't feel it at all. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Suoh's hands shook on his knees from anger at the rude insult towards Takaba-sama. The boy might have been so naive beyond stupidity and caused numerous problems for them during his time with Asami-sama. But after one incident in Thailand, both he and Suoh had to admit that the boy was completely loyal and nonsensically in love with Asami-sama that he was ready to die for their boss. And that is enough reason for the two loyal subordinates to respect the boy as their boss' partner even after the boy left. As long as Asami-sama hadn't given up on the boy. any insult towards the boy was equal to an insult to Asami-sama himself. And for that, they were ready to blow this idiot empty head with a single bullet right away.

But Asami-sama sat still, not losing his polite smile at all. Without missing even a blink, he answered, 'I see, but I am sure you think too high about me.' and then continued the conversation as normal. If Asami-sama thought that they needed to let this Fujimoto alive in spite of his offenses, Kirishima and Suoh would accept his decision without questions.

The conversation went on as Asami-sama gently reminded Fujimoto on his promise to obtain an entry license for one of Asami-sama biggest shipment route, including some of his illegal ones. It was after Fujimoto left that Asami-sama removes his mask of kindness. With such a chilly voice that gave Kirishima goose bumps, he ordered the secretary to push Fujimoto to sign the grant as soon as possible; otherwise he would cancel all his future sponsorship for the politician. Afraid of losing his biggest support and blindly believing that Asami-sama would always protect him from any harm like he always did before, Fujimoto worked hard to get the entry license, bribing various parties with his illegal corrupted funding. It was only after the idiot signed the entry license for Asami-sama and all necessary documents were saved inside a safebox, that his boss ordered him to release the proof of all Fujimoto's criminal activity, careful enough to leave Asami-sama out of any damage.

Fujimoto lost all his popularity, power, wealth, position, wife and son in a single night. When the man tried to contact Asami-sama for help and got no response, he finally understood his situation. Luckily he still had a few working brain cells, for he didn't mention Asami-sama even once during the interrogation or he would lose his life as well. As Fujimoto went into jail, Asami-sama turned his full support into Fujimoto's rival who accepted his offer like a starving dog getting a piece of meat.

Indeed, Takaba-sama was wise to decline Fujimoto's offer. But Kirishima knows the boy has never been interested in politics in the first place. So he has no worry about that at all. That brat is far to idealistic to accept any political project.

His phone beeps disrupting his train of thought. It is a message from Suoh, informing that Asami-sama has finished with his meetings and is ready to go now.

"Takaba-sama, Asami-sama is done. He will be waiting for you in the car. I will accompany you there," he notifies the boy who is still seriously watching the news.

The boy immediately jumps and grabs his scattered stuffs. Kirishima will never understand how come the boy always manages to make such a mess in any amount of time. While the boy snatches his pen that somehow falls under the sofa, Kirishima hears him asks, "Kirishima, do you also know the real reason why I decline Fujimoto's offer?"

Kirishima frowns. What is this about? He decides to just answer honestly, "You already mentioned it. You said that it was because you don't like politics."

The boy's head pops from under the sofa as he looks at Kirishima. Then he slowly explains, "True. But actually, the night before God of Fortune turned his back from Fujimoto, I almost accepted his offer. Simply because-," he pauses to consider his next words carefully before resumes, "well, let's just say, I talked to another photojournalist who has a somewhat similar interest on Fujimoto. And I just can't let him to do that. Journalist can be very territorial on their target, you know."

Well, this is news. He doesn't expect the boy to be that interested in someone like Fujimoto that he doesn't want to let anyone else to steal his offer. Kirishima is actually a bit surprise. But he is not a journalist himself, so what does he know about what is inside their mind? Whatever the reason was, he thanks whatever God with such a great power that He could somehow change the boy's mind. Heaven knows how stubborn the boy could be once he made up his minds. Otherwise, it would be such a mess. Kirishima waits for the boy to finish his story, not sure where this conversation will lead to.

"And when I came back home from the bar that night, finally decided to take the offer, I received an anonymous text message. It was a short one. It said, '_Don't accept his offer_', that was all. From an unknown number. No name. No signature. Nothing else. I didn't even tell anyone other than Arata that I got the offer. Well, not until I told you just now, which obviously you somehow already knew. And I am sure Arata didn't mention it to anyone. I can always trust him on this kind of thing. Watanabe was dying for me to accept the offer, so it must not be him. Anyway, _whoever_ it was," the boys emphasizes on the word _'whoever'_ with an air quotes and a smug grins before he continues,"I ended rejecting the offer that night. The next morning, people went into jails for being involved with Fujimoto," he calmly finishes.

Kirishima's shock is beyond words. He can feel his face betrays his effort to keep his emotion hidden. Who did that? Was it Asami-sama? He shakes his head to clear his mind. Asami-sama usually informs him about all his actions related with his boy. Okay, maybe not exactly all of them, but Kirishima is quite sure he knows ALMOST all of them. But who else knew that the boy got an offer from Fujimoto other than him, Suoh, and Asami-sama? Suoh won't do anything without being instructed, he is just that loyal.

The boy grins at his shock expression and cheerfully says, "Well, I could see that even you don't know about this. Finally! There is something that I know that you don't know. Now, I can finally rest in peace." He jokes as he imitates holy pose with stupid smirk on his face before he turns the TV off.

"No need to accompany me. Geez, Kirishima, I am not a child. I know the way to the car park. Have a good rest tonight, okay? You deserve it. And thanks for keeping me company while I wait."

The boy bumps Kirishima's shoulder in a friendly manner, smiling all over at his small victory. He leaves Kirishima standing there in disbelief, jaws hanging open, while that little shit runs towards the lift, loudly shouting goodbye to Haruka on his way out.

* * *

_The night before I needed to tell Watanabe my 'final' final decision on Fujimoto's offer, I decided to take a break from the whole affair AND from Arata's nagging. I knew that he just wanted the best for me. But sometimes he could be so annoying with his view of success._

_The bar was quite pack, but I can finally find a table for Mitarai and I. Even though I didn't do criminal photography anymore, I always kept in touch with my previous colleagues. It helped to keep me up to date._

_That night, I let Mitarai pouring all his stress and complaining about his job, waiting patiently for him to slip me the information that I need on his own. He didn't disappoint me. After a few shots of hard liquor, he spills what I want to hear._

_'...and you know that Fujimoto Daiki? Some said the head of Takamiya group supports him. Other said that it is some foreign government who stands behind his back. But I got a reliable source that told me he is actually working for someone who is involved in the underground world. Alas, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find any proof. Could you believe that? How could you trust our own government if you know something like this happening under your nose? You understand, right, Takabat?'_

_I nodded simply to make him kept talking. Mitarai's voice was slurred, as he was getting drunk. But I still could understand what he said._

_"Who does he work for, Mitarai?" I pushed him._

_Mitarai grumbled and scowled before he answered, 'Who else that has so much power he could remove all the evident without any trace? Of course it is Asami Ryuichi, stupid! But even someone as strong as Asami Ryuichi will make a mistake one day. He will fall. When the day comes, I will be the one there to catch him through my viewfinder. And that is why I will keep following Fujimoto Daiki; my guts told me he will somehow bring me to my target.'_


	4. Chapter 4 The Best Secret Is Usually The

**Chapter 4. The Best Secret Is Usually The Cruelest One**

**Part 1. "Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead." - Benjamin Franklin**

Kirishima stares at the incredulous light brown hair girl with hazelnut eyes sitting in the beanie chair. She was somehow the most similar compared to all the others, both physic and personality wise. And the most difficult one that Kirishima had to handle so far, even though not as difficult as the real one. Sometimes Kirishima feels that she is just that good at pretending instead of truly having similar personality with Takaba-sama.

"Are you kidding me?! You called me here just to ask about this?!" He can't stop himself from shouting.

That little bitch just tilts his head innocently in a way that Kirishima thinks more and more annoying lately. He seriously hopes that Asami-sama gets tired with this one real soon and orders her death. Ohh, how he will really enjoy that. But so far, the prospect seems unpromising. Instead, it looks like Asami-sama enjoys her company and he often brings her out more than the others. He just silently prays that her being seen together with Asami-sama in public will somehow persuade the enemies to kidnap her faster. Because otherwise, he starts to seriously consider the idea of making a fake kidnapping incident for her personally.

The cheeky girl answers him with a perfect angelic smile plastered on her face, "Well, Asami-sama said I should call you whenever I have problem. And I do have one right now. It is a problem for me if Asami-sama doesn't spend much time with me like before. Where is he?"

He walks so fast to grab her chin roughly and leans closer that their faces are just separated for a few inches. He can feel her warm steady breath on his face.

"What Asami-sama does or doesn't do is none of your problem, whore," he growled low, "You better do your job silently like a good girl or I will terminate your contract right here, right now. Do you understand, Emi-chan?"

If the girl is surprised by his action, she covers it well. She even keeps her eyes locked with his in a defiant way, her smile never falters even for a bit. Sometimes, Kirishima thinks it is her natural insolence and disobedience that makes her looks similar with Takaba-sama. But if Takaba-sama's rebellion appears guileless, hers makes something within him shakes slightly in fear. And he swears, he is not one who easily gets scared.

Believing he has made his point, he releases the girl, leaving a bruise mark on her right cheek. It will be okay; Asami-sama doesn't care about these whores who only stay here for his money and some luxury. Leaving Emi behind, he doesn't notice the glint of cold anger and determination in her eyes.

* * *

"Could you please check it again? I am sure we have made our booking a week a go," Arata begs the lady who welcomes them at the entrance of the famous western restaurant.

She takes a quick look on her list and slowly shakes her head. "I am very sorry, Sir. But unfortunately, it seems that your name is not listed here. The restaurant doesn't have available table at the moment, but I can put you in the waiting list. Do you want me to do so?" she asks politely.

I wait with my parents behind him. They just come to town to visit and I know they don't really care where to eat as long as they can spend some time with us. But as I stretch my hand towards Arata to tell him that we can just go to another place, a familiar voice that recently causes a bittersweet taste deep inside me comes from the door.

"Is there any problem here?" Asami asks with his velvety tone.

The lady and some other waitresses nearby quickly bow towards him. So do Arata when he notices who is speaking. My mother looks confused, unsure of whom this person is. But seeing the respect showed by Arata, she quickly follows to bow, though not as low as the others. My father, though, just looks at Asami intensely as if he is trying to figure out who this man that oozes so much power and wealth is. It is no wonder considering he also worked in criminal photography more than 20 years a go. Though he retired from that world right after I was born, he must have heard rumors about Asami at least once through his old network.

Arata sees that I am still standing, frozen in my place, and he moves to grab me. But Asami just waves his hand lightly to stop him and allows everyone to rise. I sigh and shake my head cynically at all this bizarre display. Where is this human equality that everyone seems to talk about nowadays?

"Asami-sama, it is a surprise but it is good to meet you here," Arata greets him warmly.

With a slight smile that doesn't reach his icy eyes, Asami answers him politely, "It is good to see you too, Takagi-san," he then looks behind Arata at my parents and I with amused eyes, "and Takaba-sensei." He paused to enjoy my deathly glare at him before he continues, "And may I know who this lovely couple are?"

I almost snort loudly. The bastard must know everything about my family by now, maybe even remembering every detail about their neighbors. But Arata looks at me waiting for an introduction so I tell Asami briefly in a flat tone, "Please introduce my parents, Asami-sama," I purposely give a mocking that will only be noticeable by the person himself as I drag at his honorifics. "This is my mother, Takaba Kaede and my father, Takaba Ichirou. Father, mother, this is Arata's client, Asami Ryuichi-sama."

As both parties exchange greetings, I narrow my eyes at Suoh, who stands like a giant behind Asami, as discreet as humanly possible when you are standing between your boyfriend, your sort-of-secret-lover, and your parents, sending a silent question whether this is all happened as per Asami's plan. By some miracles, it seems Suoh understands (_or he just develops some abilities that allow him to read my mind after knowing me for so many years!_) and he slightly shakes his head without really looking at me.

"Oh, the restaurant missed your prior booking and now you need to wait?" Asami asks Arata with a frown between his perfect brows. I have no idea why everything about that man has to be so perfect, from the tip of his hair to the end of his toes. If God does exist, He must be in a really good mood when He created Asami. Or He simply wanted to make my life harder so He created Asami to make my breath stops whenever he is near no matter where I am or who is around. _Stop it, Akihito_. I tried to look at anything but him.

Asami slowly walks around me towards the reception lady, passing me by only millimeters of distance in purpose. The scent of his cologne and a hint of his cigarettes fill my entire body and, my hand, that almost touches his, trembles slightly with hidden desire. I suddenly have a strong urge to touch him and to drag the tip of my tongue on his sexy muscles. I can feel my breath gets faster with excitement but I grit my teeth to stay still. Damnit, Asami, if this is his plan to keep our secret, he may as well announce it with a loudspeaker in the middle of the road. I quickly turn around to hide whatever reaction shown in my face -or worse, my body- from Arata and my parents. Lucky for me, it seems no one notices anything strange, everyone is too unsure on what to do in this situation to take a look on my sudden awkwardness.

"I am sure you can arrange something for them, Honda-san. We have never treated our respectful customer like this and we will not start now. There must be some space in the VIP area," Asami calmly orders the reception lady.

The lady shakes in fear as she bows very low with promises that she will immediately prepare the tables for them. Asami nods gracefully in appreciation, before turning to look at Arata, who sees him with new admiration, and my parents, who see him with confusion.

"I am very sorry for this incident, Takagi-san, Takaba-sensei. I hope you will still enjoy your dinner at our establishment." Then, with an evil amusement in his eyes, he addresses Arata, "Takagi-san, I don't know that you are such a _good_ friend with Takaba-sensei you even have dinner with his family."

Only Asami can say a sentence fully dipped in sarcasm in a very polite and charming way. I can see Arata's embarrassment as he becomes red to the edge of his ears and neck. He opens his mouth but no words come out. I readily move forward to defend Arata, but Asami quickly cuts me, "There is nothing to worry, Takagi-san. I have nothing against such a," he lingered to look at me in the eyes for a moment longer than necessary before he continues, "-inclination." He stares back at Arata with his fake smile, "In fact, I can somehow understand it."

Now it is my turn to blush. How dare the bastard flirts with me in front of everyone. Even Arata looks a bit surprised with the transparent flirting. But when Asami winks his eye at Arata and walks away like a king towards his own table, Arata just gives a small nervous laugh.

"Rich people, they always live frivolously; we will never understand them," he shakes his head slowly, "At least, it seems he doesn't has any problem with our relationship."

I just shrug. _Oh, I am not sure about other rich people, Arata, but you have no idea how frivolous Asami can be_.

* * *

Emi stays a few hundreds meters from the restaurant in her disguise. She learnt long a go that if she dyes her hair in any other color but light brown and uses other color soft lenses instead of leaving her original hazelnut eyes bare, Asami-sama's guards will never notice her. It is just the color of her hair and eyes that attract their attention. For them, she is nothing if it is not because of her hair and eyes color. Especially for that dog Kirishima. She needs to be careful with him or Suoh, though. They both always pay more attention to every detail compared to the other guards. Which is good, because her master needs as much protection as possible. But one day, she will need to teach those two dogs who is really in power here. Not today, though.

She has seen Asami-sama entered the premises. It took quite an effort to get the information from that stupid guard who always stands in front of her penthouse, but she finally managed to coax him. She snorts, '_Huh, men, they are all the same._' as she remembers the disappointing cock of the guard. Well, all but Asami-sama. Asami-sama is different. She actually doesn't like to cheat on Asami-sama and she always extremely careful to put condom on. Kirishima always brings her to medical check regularly, but who knows what that guard brings. If Asami-sama ever finds out, that will be the end of all her careful plan.

She is not stupid despite what that irritating Kirishima thinks. She had done her homework since she moved in into Asami-sama's penthouse. By the second weeks, she found out that his powerful master had a few others girls and boys with exactly similar characteristics. That is a bit freaky, even for her standard, and heaven knows she is already a bit of a freak herself. But everyone has his or her own kinks and his master is madly rich and influential, so she won't complain. Since then, she had waited patiently to make her next move. This kind of thing needs to be done with patient and not in rush.

It was after she accidently saw the fate of one of the boy who broke the strict rule by stupidly falling truly in love with her powerful man that she knew it was time to make her next move. Tsk, she still couldn't believe that boy idiotic behavior. Didn't that stupid boy know that a man as powerful as Asami-sama is not someone you should be in love with? That should be the first lesson his mother told him. That kind of man doesn't need love. What they need is a strong partner who can smile innocently like an angel by his side while killing brutally to remove any obstacles behind him.

It took her some time to persuade her guard that it was safe to give her bits of information. The weak man is so scared with Asami-sama that he didn't dare to say anything at first. '_As he and everyone else should be'_, Emi claims with proud inwardly. She knows the power his master holds over other people. She has even seen people with high positions from all over the world bows towards her master. And every time she stands beside him while those people tremble to pay their respects, she is filled with so much pride at Asami-sama that she will become much wilder in bed after that. Of course, she is careful enough to always put a struggle first in the beginning. Ooh, and how her strong man loves that.

Her first victim was easy to fool. It was another light brown hair boy with a sweet dimple on his left cheek. He was kinda nice actually; the boy even took her as a friend, believing her story about wanting to have a comrade who can understand their unique circumstances. It was too bad that she couldn't allow any potential threats otherwise she didn't mind to keep him around. Instead, she set him up with a male whore that she paid in such a way that Asami-sama would find it out. The boy was dead even before the sun rose.

The second one was a bit difficult. She was much more suspicious of Emi, there was no possibility to get closer. But later, Emi found out that Asami-sama would not care if any of his girls and boys were kidnapped, hurt, or killed. Actually, she knew it the hard way herself. But she believed that it was Asami-sama's way to see which one of them was strong enough to protect themselves. A kind of '_survival to the fittest_', in her opinion, which proved her master's ingenuity in choosing partner.

She abducted that girl by herself, prepared with chloroform, butcher knife and stun gun. Her scream was phenomenal as Emi sliced her body apart. Throwing the pieces of her body was a bit difficult, but somehow she could do it. She knew later from her guard that Asami-sama didn't even look for the girl.

The last two boys were much easier. But she was careful not to do the same things twice. The last thing she wants to do is to attract Asami-sama's attention. Besides, she has an image to maintain. Did she mention already about being an angel at her master's side?

Anyway, she is not sure what keeps Asami-sama away from her for so long now. But sooner or later, she will find it out. Asami-sama is the king. And it is her responsibility to gently show him the way back to his queen.

* * *

**Part 2. "The best way of keeping a secret is to pretend there isn't one." - Margaret Atwood**

Our table is ready not long after Asami left. As we sit around it, I notice that he sits just a few tables away from us, slightly hidden deeper inside the VIP room with a clear view of our own table and everything else in the restaurant. He raises his glass of wine at us with a smile when we look at him briefly; Arata and my parents nod their silent thanks.

The restaurant itself is very beautiful. It exudes an air of elegance with the crystal chandelier and its chic interior design. The atmosphere is romantic with dimmed lighting. And the food is actually amazing. Arata and my parents keep praising every dish they have. But I feel uneasy with the whole situation I hardly manage to swallow every bite I take.

Apparently there is a live music today. And when the musicians start to play "Close to You" by the Carpenters, my parents' favorite song, they decide to follow other much-younger couples example, and go off for some slow dance. My mother looks a bit embarrassed but she grabs my father's hand in a strong and trusting grip. The vocalist starts and everyone's eyes follow her movement as she sings.

_Why do birds suddenly appear  
Every time you are near?  
Just like me, they long to be  
Close to you_

I observe my old mother and father slowly move around, laughing at each other as they kiss lightly. My father's hands rest on my mother's waist intimately as they follow the music, recalling the old memory when they were just two young people falling in love. Their eyes full with tenderness, as clear to everyone around as the singer's voice that echoes inside the restaurant.

_Why do stars fall down from the sky  
Every time you walk by?  
Just like me, they long to be  
Close to you  
_

The other young couples around my parents have noticed this old couple with hairs all white and movement a bit slow because of age, that are still so much in love with each other even after all these years. Everyone just stops moving, looking with awe and respect at these old man and woman and at their love that manages to survive the cruelty of time. And I suddenly feel a sharp pang of envy at the sight of my own parents.

_On the day that you were born the angels got together  
And decided to create a dream come true  
_

Arata squeezes my hand warmly under the table. His eyes are still fixated with admiration on my parent's affection at each other. But at that point, I hardly can breath. My heart may burst with so many emotions, so much hidden feelings, so much tenderness. And it is not for Arata. I blink my eyes rapidly to fight the tears that threaten to fall anytime soon.

_So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair  
Of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue_

I look around discreetly to find Asami. And when my eyes find him, I can see his own face harden with as much emotions as mine. Love. Sadness. Passion. Jealousy. Anger. Asami stares at me for a very long moment. His body is so stiff as he tries to contain whatever feelings from exploding.

_That is why all the girls in town  
Follow you  
All around  
Just like me, they long to be  
Close to you  
_

I don't notice the way Arata absentmindedly moves closer to me to grab my waist, so affected by all the love in the room that he forgets his usual reserved attitude when we are in public. Not until I see pain flashes in Asami's eyes and he slowly closes his eyes. He stands from his table gracefully as ever, throws his napkin onto his table, and walks away. And the only thing I want to do is to run for him, to sooth his hurt, and to pamper his broken ego. But I just freeze there. My body loses all its strength and will to move as Asami's silent ache affect me.

_On the day that you were born the angels got together  
And decided to create a dream come true  
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair  
Of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue  
_

I turn to Arata. His eyes are still on my parents. Somehow he notices me staring so intensely at him. He looks at me with a loving smile and sees the tears that stream down inaudibly on my cheeks. I close my eyes quickly so he doesn't see the anger hidden there. It is none of his fault. If anyone is at fault, it is me. He moves his hand tenderly at my back, thinking that I am as affected with my parents as him and trying to comfort me.

_That is why all the girls in town  
Follow you  
All around  
Just like me, they long to be  
Close to you_

I don't understand how come my love for Arata just an hour a go completely turn sour by now. Suddenly the romantic song doesn't sound so romantic anymore. If else, I just want it to stop. I fight the urge to scream at the singer and to force her to just shut her mouth up.

_Just like me, they long to be  
Close to you  
_

As the song finally comes into an end, everyone in the room stands and claps at my parents in a thunderous harmony.

* * *

When Arata drive my parents back into the hotel, I am quite. Arata and my parents keep laughing, chattering about the memorable night, but they let me have my peace for a while as I try to gain some control of my overflowing emotions. I look through the window at nothing, thinking carefully about all that just happened. I can't stay like this forever. It is just not fair for anyone involved.

It is a shock for me, when my mother drags me aside while my father keeps talking with Arata before Arata and I left their hotel room.

"Who is exactly that man, Aki?" she asks in whispers as she brings me outside, saying that she needs to walk around for a while after so much delicious food. Like she needs any more exercise after that much dancing, but I obediently follow her. Her question, though, stops me at my track.

I try to keep my cool as I answer her, "What do you mean? Which man?"

"Don't you dare to lie to me, Akihito," she chastises me and I know that I am in big trouble just by the way she says my name, "I don't become your mother for all these years for nothing. I saw how you tried not to look at him even if no one else in the room noticed it. I saw how you stiffens every time he was near you just like how you stiffened near me every time you don't want to show any reaction to me, like when you tried to hide your bad test scores or your injury from a fight at school."

I don't know how a mother can always sense this kind of things with their children. But obviously, I can't hide it from her. So, I sigh at my defeat and reply her with as much honesty as I can tell, "I don't know, mother. I don't even know what kind of relationship we had. Or, we have. I am not sure which term is more accurate for us at the moment. I have known him years before I met Arata, but we fell apart some time back. He is truly Arata's client, though. And I can't just tell him not to have business project with all my ex, can I? Not that I have many of them."

My mother looks at me deeply before she decides that I told her the truth. Then she brings me to her warm embrace and I am so overwhelmed as I hug her small body. I feel like I am a small boy again, seeking solace in my mother's protection after the bully in my 5th grade beaten me up for having a platonic friendship with a girl that he secretly liked. She comforts me with gentle pats at my back as I sob quietly into her shoulder. Arata's job, his family situation, Asami's life and safety, my own uncontrollable desire towards the powerful man; everything seems much more bearable now. I really am not sure what to do with all of this but her presence strengthens me in a way no one else can.

"Does Arata know about your relationship with him?" she asks softly.

I shake my head, "No, he doesn't. And I can't find the right time to tell him."

"And you will never find it, Aki," she strokes my cheek with love, "There is never a right time for this kind of thing. I won't tell you what to do. You are not a boy anymore, Aki. You are a mature man who has earns your own independence and achievement. What I can tell you is that you have to learn to stop running away from the truth and face it like a man. Denial will not solve anything. Sooner or later, someone will sniff your secret, and you will be in a much more mess than now."

She brings my forehead closer and kisses me gently, "Whatever your decision is in the end, I know you will do the right thing."

* * *

Emi saw everything. She saw how Asami-sama looks at that light brown hair boy. She saw how the boy looked back at Asami-sama. And still, she couldn't believe her eyes.

She doesn't understand. This boy looks similar with all the other boys and girls that Asami-sama keeps. But somehow he looks different. He looks... natural. Observing the way he walks and acts, it doesn't seem that he even tries to be someone else. And she is usually quite good at judging people's act.

And there is the man who stands at the boy's side. From his behavior, it looks like that they have an intimate relationship. But it doesn't make any sense. She knows for sure that Asami-sama doesn't share. She has seen the evident herself multiple times. Sharing is what common people do, and Asami-sama is anything but common. What did Kirishima told her during her training? _Asami-sama is the King, and the King takes what he wants._

She observes the boy's car leaving the hotel from her luxurious Audi. From the way the boy dresses and the brand of his car, it doesn't look like he lives in overflowing comfort like all the other girls and boys. Of course, they all have to be careful to dress when Asami-sama is around, it won't do any good to wear something too fancy. But she still tries to at least keep a certain level of class while pretending not to care of what she wears. She is a queen and a queen can't look too much like a commoner, no matter what her master's taste is like.

Everything is just too confusing. But, it is just a matter of time until she finds out what this is all about. She can wait. She is patient and she shouldn't rush to handle this kind of delicate situation. She strokes her belly in adornment.

_Asami-sama is the King, and soon, my son will be his Prince_.


	5. Chapter 5 What Lies In Power

**Chapter 5. What Lies in Power**

**Part 1. Deep Within Every Man, There Is a Secret Power**

'sorry, _can't go home yet. but will come home for your birthday next week. promise. xxx._'

Arata's text makes me sigh. I can count with the fingers on my single hand how many times he comes home since our dinner with my parents more than two weeks a go. And when he did come home, it would only be for a few hours; leaving him just enough time to take a quick shower, change his clothes, and then go back to his office.

It seems there is a problem with his project with Asami so that Arata and his team needs to focus all their time and energy to fix it. Knowing this issue, I don't pay much attention when there is no news from Asami as well. He must be busy with the problem with his business. Besides, it is good to have a bit of distance when I need to make a decision about my relationships (yes, it is in plural form now!). Being around Asami with my brain clouded with pure lust definitely will not help me to make any.

The first thing I decided is that I need to be honest with Arata as soon as he has time to talk more than just a few words. I don't plan to tell him every little detail. There is no need to hurt him more than what I have done. But I can't be with him when my heart is with someone else. He deserves better than that. I know it will definitely mean the end of our relationship. Or maybe our relationship has died long time a go when we become more like a roommate and less of a couple as we both get more and more busy with our own work and life. Whichever the case is, I don't want to keep any more secrets from him.

To be honest, there is a part of me that is afraid to face the truth. Arata has been my touchstone for the last two years. What we have gone through may not be as heart throbbing as what Asami and I have experienced together. However, we have supported and cared for each other for quite a long time that I have almost forgotten how life without him is. But I know it is time to stop running away from reality. That is the least thing I can do for Arata at this moment.

What I will do with Asami is a much more difficult question. I know if I decided to be with him, I have to change. And I am not sure what I am going to be once that happens. But there is just no way I stay with him and still remain unaffected. In one way or another, his way of life will change me. Just like my way of life will also somehow change him.

His world is not one with a guarantee that everything will be fine or that we will always be together happily ever after. As soon as people notices that I am with him, his enemies will look for me, just like before. And Asami will do everything in his power to protect me, again. Doesn't it mean I am just going around and around in the same old problem? Will I wake up again one day, realizing what a mistake it is to stay stubbornly by his side and to watch him hurt or even die because of me? Then what is the point of all those miserable days and nights after breaking up with him if I am just going to repeat it all over again?

In the end, letting him go will do good looks like the better option for both Asami and I. Just like Arata deserves someone who loves him completely, Asami deserves someone strong who can stand and support him by his side instead of being a burden.

As for me? I will be fine by myself. Really. Bouncing back from whatever things life throws at me is my specialty anyway. I will just focus in my career. I am going to be a famous photographer and live my life to the fullest. Yeah, it is decided. Who needs an arrogant and control freak crime lord, anyway, when fame has been waiting for me all along? Right? I chant the silent argument inside my head a few times a day like a mantra.

But when Kirishima sends me a text message on the first Thursday night since my parents' visit, informing that Asami will not be able to make it for our regular Friday dinner, I start to feel unsure about my own decision to leave Asami. My determination wavers more as Asami also cancels our next dinner a week after that. Suddenly, being alone at home doesn't give me the peaceful time needed to think. Instead, it makes me feel restless. The silence in my apartment pressures me in a way that makes me unable to sleep. Eating alone doesn't improve my appetite. Being unable to settle things with Arata due to his long work hours doesn't help to improve my mood. And knowing I may lose Asami again and for good this time (if I haven't lost him already considering how he keeps avoiding me!) makes everything worse.

I think I am going to lose my mind if I don't talk to someone soon. So, as I leave for work, I text Kou and tell him to call me as soon as possible.

* * *

"Takaba, Sato, get your lazy ass here! NOW!"

I slowly bang my head to my desk. My other teammates look at Sato-san and I with pity. I don't remember why exactly I decided to take a short-term contract for this photography collection project sponsored by a local clothing brand. I don't usually take a full time project no matter how short, preferring to be a freelancer. But the vision of the project is very inspiring and the payment is quite good. So I thought, why not? It may be nice to have a stable income for a couple of months, especially since Arata pointed out how unstable my freelance job is when I asked him to stop his project with Asami. During my first few days working in the project, I already regret my decision.

To be fair, the work itself is quite interesting. It will be a good experience if it is not for Takamiya Yamada, the jerk who is in charge of the project. I stand slowly from my seat where I edit my latest photos. Sato-san, my partner in this project, sends me a nervous grin as she stands from her own seat. She is a cheerful young photographer in her mid twenties with such an incredible talent. But in the last few weeks, her smile every time Yamada calls us looks more like she is having constipation. Not that I can blame her since I feel exactly the same way.

Vowing that I will never ever for any kind of reasons take a full time project again, I walk towards Yamada's office with Sato-san. Yamada sits behind his desk as he glares at our slowness. When we approach his desk, he throws a pile of photos towards us before we can say any word. One sharp edge of the photo paper cuts the skin on my cheek, right below my right eye. Luckily, I stand slightly in front of Sato-san so I can cover her from any damage, but I can still hear her shock gasp behind me.

"You both are useless! What kind of crap is this? You spent three full days, three full days, and this is the result?! I can pay someone cheaper for a much better quality than this!"

Having lack of sleep for days, I lose my patience quickly. I glare at that shitty Yamada in anger and it is obviously a mistake. He notices my irritation and instantly points his fat finger at me.

"What? Do you think one award make you so great, huh?! You are just a dumb photographer who has to do whatever I said! I am your boss in this project! If I said it is crap, you agree with it! Do you understand?!"

I have had my photos thrown into the trash bin in my early days as photojournalist. I have been shouted at in a much harsher way. I have been shot. Kidnapped. Raped. Even sold to some old geezer in Russia by that stupid Yuri. But for some unknown reason, being told that my work are crap by someone who doesn't know one fucking bit about photography, upsets me more that any of those things. So, I slam his desk as hard as I can. Silence fills the whole office as everyone -myself included- freezes with my abrupt anger.

"Sato-san, you are a talented photographer, you deserve something better than this," I tell her calmly before I walk away.

I quickly gather my stuffs into my backpack and leave the building without looking back. As I walk randomly through the heavy streets full of people, I bump into a man who immediately curses at me. In my annoyance, I yell back at him, ignoring the fact that I am the one at fault, until I hear someone calling me from behind.

"Takaba-sama?"

I turn around to face Kirishima and Suoh, each standing a few feet from me holding a cup of coffee as they stare in shock. Maybe it is days and nights of thinking about Asami and Arata that finally takes its effect on me or it is simply due to my anger towards the idiot that claims himself as my boss or a mix of both, but I find myself snapping at Kirishima and Suoh.

"What? Now, I also can't shout at someone? And who dare to order me so? Of course, your boss! He will ask you to jump and you will ask him how high! Don't you see how absurd it is?! Can't you tell him to fuck off whenever he order you to do some kind of ridiculously fucking tasks?! Don't you have your own opinion in any fucking thing?!"

I need to stop my sudden outcry because I run out of breath. As I struggle to take deep breaths as fast as possible, Kirishima and Suoh just stand there in silence.

"Does this man cause problem to you, Takaba-sama?" Suoh ask coolly as if I haven't said anything rude to him before he carefully moves forward towards me. He slowly passes his coffee into Kirishima, who receives it without any other word behind him.

The man I shouted at instantly sees danger as he looks at the giant bodyguard. Both Suoh and Kirishima do have that kind of intimidating effect on people. "Wait, it is him who bumps into me first," he tries to argue as he raises his hand in a surrender gesture.

But I am already at my end of rationality. The rush of adrenaline infused by my anger suddenly leaves me. My knees give away and I fall into Suoh's ready hands. My poor victim sees this as an opportunity to run away from this crazy man and his two bulky bodyguards. And I let him be. I feel so tired. The last thing I remember is Kirishima's voice ordering the doctor to come.

* * *

"So, basically, he is just collapsed due to lack of sleep?"

I hear Asami's cool voice. I am not ready to face him yet so I pretend to sleep.

Another voice, it must the doctor, answers, "And lack of vitamins and nutrition, yes. Once he has enough rest and some proper meals, he will be fine in no time. I will prescribe some medicine that will help him to rest well today."

The room is silent for a few long minutes. Then Asami calmly says, "I have to say I don't believe it, Sensei. I want a complete body check right here right now. Please make sure every nook, cranny, hole, and-"

"What the hell, bastard?!" I instantly open my eyes as I yell at him.

Asami stands in front of me with a smirk plastered on his face. The poor doctor seems nervous beside him. Kirishima is a few feet behind them with Haruka who holds a bowl of water and a towel on her arm. And everyone looks at me.

"It seems we don't need full body check after all, Sensei. My boy just wakes up and he looks well," he teases me. I scowl at his dirty trick before I finally check my surrounding. I find myself lying on the huge sofa in Asami's spacious office room. Someone has put a blanket on my lower body and a pillow under my head.

Asami moves to sit at the single chair nearby as the doctor hastily does a quick final check on me. Concluding that I am okay, he reminds me again to have plenty of rest and proper meals. I just nod at whatever he said, too busy trying to avoid Asami's penetrating gaze. As soon as the doctor leaves the room with Haruka leading the way, I start fidgeting.

"How do you get that scratch on your cheek, Akihito?" Asami asks lightly as he takes his cigarettes box from his pocket. Putting one in his mouth, he turns his face towards Kirishima who readily lights his cigarette. I watch Asami slowly take a deep breath from his deadly stick.

"None of your business, bastard," I mumbles stubbornly. After days worrying about him and suddenly finding him behaves like nothing is wrong, I don't feel the need to act all friendly with the man.

For the next few minutes, Asami just silently smokes without saying anything else. Kirishima brings a glass of Asami's absurdly expensive whiskey. I snort. The man can survive without anything else in life as long as he can smoke, drink, and have sex like crazy rabbit. Why do I need to worry so much about his life and safety anyway? He will certainly die early from his bad habits long before anyone can put a bullet in his head.

When he realizes that I will keep my silence no matter how long he waits, Asami calls me with a sharp edge of warning in his voice, "Akihito."

"It is nothing, okay!? Why do you care anyway? I am just a dumb useless photographer! Oh, and you are mad at me!" I sulk.

I know I am acting like a kid, blaming him for my bad day. But if I am hoping to fuse his feathers with my words, his reaction is totally disappointing. Asami doesn't even blink. He tilts his head slightly with his fingers rubbing his chin as if he is trying to decide whether I indeed made him angry or I am indeed a dumb useless photographer or both. Each option just makes me angrier.

"Oh, really? And may I know who said that you are _'just a_ _dumb useless photographer'_?" he finally asks, tapping his cigarette at the ashtray on the side table.

I feel a bit upset that he doesn't deny the idea that he is mad at me. So, just to make his life difficult, I shrug dramatically for effect, "Everyone did."

"I see," he said evenly as he takes another drag of his smoke, "And who is this _'everyone'_?"

My patience wears unreasonably thin for him and practically for everything else in this world, so I yell again, "Everyone is everyone! Like that stupid Yamada and you and everyone else!"

But he just smirks sarcastically at my explosion. The amusement that usually comes with his signature smirk doesn't appear in his icy golden eyes this time. I can see his slightly stiffened jaw as he considers his next reply. I gulp. Whatever the reason is, the man must be really mad at me. "Oh, did I ever say it? Please pardon me. It must be my old age catching up with me that I can't seem to remember. I am not sure about the dumb part, but you are obviously not useless, in my opinion. Actually, in the opposite, I always think that you are very _useful_, brat," he says, putting much more meaning into what _'useful'_ truly means than what is written in any dictionary on earth.

I blush. Not because I feel fluttered, but because I feel insulted. Being called useful because I am such a convenient lover doesn't exactly help to boost my shattered ego at this moment. But I have learnt enough not to take the bait. Instead I glower at him, silently praying that I suddenly have developed some kind of superpower that allows me to kill someone simply by looking at him. It will definitely solve all of my problems.

He looks back at me with a thoughtful gaze and I find that I don't like it. Asami never seems thoughtful whenever he looks at me. Lustful? Yes. Entertained? Most of the times. Thoughtful? Definitely no. Finally, when I almost say anything just to break the uncomfortable silence, he stands and says, "Kirishima will send you back to your apartment. You need to take a rest and proper meals."

His cold attitude makes me feel even more dejected and before my brain can process what happen, I find myself asking him desperately, "Can't I stay here? I will keep quite you won't even notice me. I just don't want to go home and being alone right now."

He stills. I look up at him slowly as I realize my stupidity. '_Me and my traitorous mouth_,' I curse silently. But Asami roughly messes my hair before whispering softly, "Such a brat."

Then he calls Kirishima and orders the man to somehow find a temporary room divider so that I can sleep on his office sofa and he can works without worrying that any of his business partners will see me and wonder what this brat doing on his expensive leather sofa.

I grin at Kirishima while the other man scowls back at me.

* * *

Kirishima has checked the brat a handful times today. But when he enters Asami-sama's office to pass some more documents for his boss' approval, he can't help but take a quick look behind the room divider to check the boy one more time. The brat is sleeping peacefully now. Thanks to all Gods and the strong medicines.

The boy almost gave Kirishima and Suoh a heart attack when he collapsed in the middle of the road after his crazy antics with that man. Though Kirishima would rather die than admitting the truth out loud, he actually feel worry for the outrageous brat.

He shakes his head slowly. How one innocent brat can cause so many troubles, headaches and deaths in this world, he will never understand. Takaba-sama just has the natural talent to do so, but Kirishima will make sure that the boy will never know that he can give someone a glance and that person will be death before the next morning comes. He knows such a power will change people, and the last thing he wants is for the boy to lose his innocence.

He gently removes a stubborn bang from that boy's face, noticing the short scratch below the photographer's right eye. Kirishima smiles when he remembers the inhuman screams that shitty Yamada gave away when Suoh broke a few of his bones. The instruction from their boss was clear. Asami-sama told them to find this Yamada that Takaba-sama talked about and to give him a _friendly_ visit. From their brief introduction, it is quite obvious this Yamada was the one who caused unnecessary stress to the boy. Kirishima and Suoh have made sure that Asami-sama's message was delivered clearly to that jerk. No one can insult, moreover, to damage their boss' property. That asshole is lucky that the boy's eye is not hurt. Otherwise, a few broken bones and a tongue won't be enough to save his pathetic life.

Kirishima attentively makes sure that the boy's glass on the coffee table is still full of warm water when Asami-sama calls him from his desk.

"Is he still sleeping?"

He answers truthfully, "Like a baby. He must be very tired. He looks thinner."

Asami-sama doesn't make any comment on that so Kirishima just waits for order patiently. His boss spends a few more minutes reading his paper works before looking at him and giving him instruction in a low voice so that there is no way the boy will hear even if he is not truly sleeping.

"Give that Takagi dog a little break. It is enough for now. As always, loneliness makes my Akihito craving for company and soon or later, he will learn that it is up to me to give it to him or take it from him. I assume the dog and his team are working like madmen by now to accomplish what I ask them to do for the past two weeks, aren't they?"

Truthfully speaking, that dog and his team almost work themselves to death, but Kirishima just nods at the understatement. There is no need to bother Asami-sama with such a minor detail.

"Stop their current project for now. Pay a huge amount of bonus for their hard work. Let them relax for a week or two."

"Yes, Asami-sama," Kirishima replies respectfully as he bows low. Concluding that Asami-sama doesn't need him anymore for now, he walks to leave the room.

* * *

**Part 2. A Man Knows His Own Power**

I sleep like the dead, as Asami's baritone voice lulls me into a dreamless slumber while he discusses mundane matters like Japan's financial needs, his shares in Google, and billions of dollars of profits from his businesses at South East Asia. I remember Haruka came a few times to give me more medicines after she spoon-fed me a small amount of chicken porridge. She has become much more familiar with me by now that she started to joke with me as she forced me to eat more. After that she would leave me alone to sleep again. I think I even saw a glimpse of Kirishima and Suoh every now and then, fixing my blanket or checking my temperature. Not that I understand why they have to check my temperature since I don't even have a fever. But it still feels nice knowing that someone cares about you when you aren't well.

When I finally wake up, I already feel much better and the world doesn't look so harsh anymore. It is dark outside. From Asami's floor-to-ceiling window, I can see the silhouette of Tokyo shimmering like a box full of diamonds. Asami's office is so high that everything looks so small below. I wonder whether he thinks of himself as a king or even a god every time he looks down on all the common people down there struggling with their every day life, trying to work on problems that he will never experience in his superior existence.

I throw my blanket away and walk to peek into Asami's side of the room (yes, I consider the side behind the temporary room divider as my side already!). He is sitting in his chair behind the huge wooden desk. His broad back halfway faces the glorious Tokyo landscape and I. The three pieces suit that he wears shows off his perfectly sculpted body. I can't fully see his face from my position, but his posture looks serious as he reads some documents that seem to come from the high piles of papers towering on his desk. Occasionally, he will examine some files on his computer screen before signing certain documents.

Standing there quietly, I savor the rare chance that allows me to observe him as he works. I have been in his office a few times, mostly waiting for him. But I have never seen him work before. He prefers to keep me away from his business and I have never got the interest to poke on his affairs. Well, unless you consider taking photos of his illegal activities as poking on his business affairs. But you get what I mean, right? I am just not interested to take any part in his loaded business, both legal and illegal.

Giving a quick glance at the clock on the wall, I am sure he must have worked for more than 12 hours by now. But his body doesn't slouch, his posture looks as elegant as ever, his hair is still perfect, and none of his clothes are out of place. Hell, where does he get his stamina to work long hours and still come home and do rounds and rounds of sex afterwards? Has the man ever feel tired in his life like any other normal human? Because I have never seen him genuinely tired before.

And he looks even sexier being all serious like this. Even I can feel the power that radiates from him as he works inside this room, most probably deciding the fate of those commoners that are living in the real world hundreds of meters below him. His choices may affect millions of other people and businesses and maybe even countries. And that much power must have some kind of effect on someone. For Asami, it makes him looks crazily hot.

The man is incredibly sexy I feel like licking his body all over. I stare at his well-defined jaw and the shape of his masculine shoulder and his-

"Enjoying the view, Akihito?" he disturbs my train of thought without looking away from the paper he reviews. Does the man also have another set of eyes at his back that I don't know about?

But I don't take my eyes away from the tempting skin on his neck when I answers, "Yes, I am. The view from here is quite stunning."

I expect him to mock my lame answer, but his cold reply sends another pang of disappointment to my shattered pride.

"It is late. Go find Kirishima so he can send you to your apartment. I still have work to do."

His stony order confirms my suspicion that he is indeed angry with me. Most probably due to the public display of affection Arata showed him during our last incidental meeting. God, has it been only a little more than two weeks since that night? I feel like it has been forever since then.

"That isn't fair, Asami! You are the one who forces this arrangement and now you are mad because you can't face the consequences?!" I yell at him without thinking. My voice raises its volume a few decibels higher with every words that come out of my mouth.

He stills before he slowly puts down his paper works and turns around to face me. I am so upset; I walk so fast towards him, thinking of shaking his shoulders or doing something as a proof of my irritation. But when I finally stand in front of him, hands shaking from annoyance, I can't think clearly and I just pour whatever thoughts passing my brain without filtering any of it first.

"You came to me out of nowhere, practically blackmailing me into accepting this arrangement we have, and suddenly you want an out because you can't stand your own decision?! Stop playing with my feelings, you old bastard!"

"And what do you actually feel, Akihito?" his calm question halts my next accuse.

His fingers are crossed in front of his stomach as he relaxes into his chair. He tilts his head and continues, "Come on, Akihito. You fight me yet you enjoy my touch. You always think you are the victim, don't you? You act like I threaten you to do everything that we do. But that door into my office isn't even locked right now. And here you are, still standing in front of me even when I am willing to send you away. Why do you think is that?"

And I don't have any reply to his simple question. My mouth hangs open as I tried to find the right response. What can I say?

_'Because I still love you even if you are such an annoying bastard_'?

'_Because every time I find out that you are still alive, I feel so much relief even though I have promised over and over again not to think or care about you anymore'_?

_'Because I want so much to grow old with you but it is better to see you growing old without me if it means you can stay alive longer'_?

In the end, I know I act so selfishly. Somewhere during our relationship years a go, I realized that the most important thing for me was Asami. I just wanted him to be well and happy. I told myself that it eas enough for me and that I wouldn't ask for anything more. Yet, here I stand in the middle of this mess between us, dragging even Arata into the chaos.

Feeling defeated, I look at anywhere else so he can't see the guilt and uncertainty that must be shown on my eyes. But he seizes me on my waist and forces me to straddle him on his chair. He grabs my chin roughly so that I have to look at him in the eyes while he grounds our quickly hardened cocks together, "Why don't you push me away seriously instead of reacting so eagerly if this is only a blackmailing case, Akihito?"

As his other hand slowly moves down to the crease of my ass, I gasp nervously in anticipation. He presses his lips on me. Or at least, he moves closer towards me that I thought he is going to kiss me so I close my eyes. But he stops a few millimeters away from my face. His steady breaths warm my lips and after a few seconds without anything else happens, I open my right eye to peek. He smirks at me with a knowing look.

"Do you want me to kiss you so badly that you close your eyes, Akihito?" He doesn't even bother to hide the amusement in his voice.

I can feel warmth decorating my cheeks as I realize what he is doing. Embarrassed with my own behavior, I fight him back, wanting to get away. But he just holds me there, unmoved even slightly with my struggle, nuzzling my neck with butterfly kisses.

"Stop it, Asami! I am still mad at you, you know!" I shout at him while trying to avoid his sweet assaults.

He bursts into laugh at my fury, "And I thought you said I am the one who is mad at you. Enlighten me, Akihito, who is actually mad at who?"

I pout at his annoying comment. "Well, I don't care whoever it is that starts this in the beginning. Now I am the one who is mad at you, okay?!"

"Of course, my dear Akihito," he just dismissed my wrath lightly on purpose, "Whatever you want to believe."

It has been a long time since the last time I need to seriously exchange blows with my words and it seems my ability to make a quick sarcastic reply has decreased tremendously. Arata isn't one who likes to argue and we have never got a long quarrel before. One of us will usually give in so the other will cool down immediately. But of course, Asami won't do something like that. He will happily rile me until I am mad beyond words and then fuck me like there is no tomorrow. Forget about discussing it like two mature adults, sex is his solution for all problems in a relationship.

So, I am literally speechless when he releases me easily after taking a light kiss on my lips. If this is his newest idea of being mad, it is definitely infuriating. Instead of taking my leave like he obviously wants me to do, I throw my punch to smack him on the face. But he just catches my blow effortlessly and pulls me back roughly towards him. My chest rests on his. His breaths are warm on my skin.

"I let you go but you didn't do it. Don't complain later saying that I didn't give you the chance to escape this situation, Akihito," his whisper is low and heavy on my ear before he licks my earlobe seductively. I can feel his hard cock against the ring of my ass as my own cock hardens even more at the husky sound of his voice.

He kisses me hard and deep, sucking my tongue so expertly in a way that he knows I love so much. I feel hundreds of butterflies fluttering inside my stomach as my hands grope him wherever I can reach: his strong chest, his flat abs, his arms, his back, his thighs, and then rushly move toward his cock. Anger fuels our desperate touches and kisses and I think I can't get out of my clothes any faster as he slides my pants down. Once I am naked, I quickly grab his belts, rushing to get his cock out for me to enjoy. My mouth waters as I can already feel the wonderful taste of his cock on my tongue. But he slaps my hands away.

Instead, he holds my wrists together in front of me with one hand and opens his drawer with the other. Asami quickly takes a metal handcuffs from the drawer and before I can utter a word of protest, he puts it around my wrists. When he pushes me down so that I kneel between his knees in the space under his desk, I grumble at being manhandled. But trapped with wood in all three directions and his legs guarding my only way out, I decide to stop my struggle. Fine, if this will fix things between us, why not playing along?

He smiles smugly as I try my best to get his belt free with my bound hands. But before I can do much with his belt, the door opens and Haruka's smooth voice comes from a place that I can't see.

"Asami-sama, Honda-san and Takagi-san from Hayashi Consulting Group are here for your next meeting, Kirishima-san is keeping them company at this moment." she pauses, for sure noticing my scattered clothes all around, before she continues politely, "Should I ask them to wait for the next an hour or so until you are ready to receive them?"

The moment I hear her mentioning Arata and his company's name, my blood freeze. Warmth leaves my body and cold is the only thing I can feel as panic floods me. I have decided to talk honestly with Arata about everything, but I don't have a plan for him to find it out like this. It will be just too cruel.

I try to get out, but Asami holds me in place. His hand pushes me back down as he answers Haruka, "No, tell them to come in now. Clean the office a bit, though, we don't want to be disrespectful towards them."

"Shit, Asami. Stop this, you bastard! What are you trying to do?!"

I can't see Haruka (or anything else but Asami who sits calmly in front of me, in fact), but I am sure she obediently bows as she replies, "Of course, Asami-sama."

I hear the soft rustles that must come from Haruka picking and folding my clothes neatly. The idea of her touching my underwear makes me blush. But considering it was Kirishima who trained her personally, she may as well remain stoic as she folds her boss' secret lover's underwear.

"Asami, release me. I will just leave. There is no need for me to be here if you have a meeting," I try to reason with him.

But he ruthlessly replies, "In case you forget, Akihito, I did give you a chance to leave earlier. But you didn't take it. And I told you not to complain later."

"You didn't tell me that you will have a meeting with Arata!" I whisper through my gritted teeth, afraid that Arata will somehow hear me through all the walls and doors.

"Trivial details," he waves his hand in a dismissing gesture. Just forget about the idea of him dying from smokes or drinks or vigorous sex. I will kill him faster than nicotine, alcohol and sex combined at this rate.

"Asami, please. I am sorry, okay? Whatever that makes you mad, I am sorry. Just, please, don't do this to him. He doesn't deserve this," I finally beg his mercy. My heart beats like crazy and I start to feel suffocated.

But Asami notices my distress. "Take a deep breath slowly, Akihito," he orders me.

He runs his hand through my hair, brushes his finger on my cheeks, and pets me softly. His rough palm feels warm on my cold skin and the reassuring pressure calms me down a bit. He keeps his movement constant and steady, careful not to stress me more with any sudden move. I struggle hard to take deep and slow breaths as he ordered me to do until my heart doesn't race a hundred miles per hour inside its cage anymore.

Noticing the changes, he praises me, "Good boy. That's it. Keep breathing slowly."

We stay like that for a moment longer until I manage to calm myself. Once the panic attack is over, I look up at him and try to bargain once again, "Asami, why do you want to do this anyway?"

He looks at me intensely but his hand keeps soothing me in a steady movement. When I think that he won't answer my question and I open my mouth to keep arguing, he simply says, "Because, Akihito, when I ask people to jump, they do ask, 'how high?' with no further question. You, however, are always a predictable exception."

I stare at him as he moves me closer to his legs, encouraging me to rest my head on his knee. His arrogance annoys me to no end. But what stops me to shot whatever argument that is already at the tip of my tongue is realizing that he repeats what I told Kirishima and Suoh this afternoon. So, is this all a trap because he believes he can predict whatever I do? My pride forces me not to do as he expects me to do at this moment. Besides, I don't think he will take anything I say seriously at this moment considering my condition. Let's leave it until later, when I am not kneeling naked at his feet with my hands bound by real handcuffs. For now, I grumbly lean to his strong thigh, finding what little comfort I can get from his body warmth.

A short moment later, I can hear the door opens and the sounds of Kirishima announcing the guests arrival with a clear voice, "Asami-sama, Honda-san and Takagi-san from Hayashi Consulting Group are here."

Asami doesn't stand from his seat to greet his guests. He merely waves towards them to allow them to take a seat. His other hand is hidden from his guests' eyes as he keeps soothing me with comforting caresses. And when they start a boring discussion about Asami's newest acquisition in the middle east and their latest success, I yawn and slowly close my eyes. I have no idea how Asami stays sane after discussing about these dreary stuffs day after day. If it were me, I must have gone crazy already.

That is when my phone rings loudly from behind the room divider. The ring tone is one I specially set for Kou and Takato, that eerie song from One Missed Call. It is a joke between us; one that Arata knows pretty well because Kou has repeated the story multiple times for him. Kou must have finished his work so he calls me as I asked him to do this morning. But once Arata hears the familiar yet uncommon ring tone, he immediately stops his sentence in the middle of his report to Asami. Just like how my breath stops as I hold onto Asami with newly awakened fear, hoping that I can somehow stop my phone from announcing my secret aloud.


	6. Chapter 6 Letting You Go

**Chapter 6. Letting You Go**

**Part 1. Letting You Go (Part 1)**

Our apartment is quite by the time I came back home the next morning. From the kitchen, I can hear Arata hums as he prepares breakfast. I put my backpack down and walk slowly towards the delicious smell of omelets that fills the entire rooms. It is not only the pain which shots from my lower back that stops me from moving too fast, but also the burden in my heart knowing what will happen between us soon.

Arata moves around the kitchen wearing T-shirt and shorts. He scratches his stomach and from below his shirt, I can see his slightly fattened stomach. He starts to gain more weight sometime last year but he doesn't have enough time to do some exercise to burn the calories off. I guess it comes with age. His hair is still messy from sleep but for the first time in the last few weeks, he looks fresh. I sigh. At least, one of us has enough sleep to be able to talk with some sense.

"Hey," I greet him softly.

He turns around and instantly smiles when he sees me. But as soon as he notices my gloomy face, he stops.

"Aki, love, is something wrong? I came home last night but you weren't here and your phone is turned off. So, I guess you were in the middle of work. Did you manage to get any photo for your project?" he asks.

I look at the man who has been my steady mountain for more than two years. Sadness fills my heart. It is not that I don't love him anymore. Maybe it is not the passionate love that we had before, but I still care so deeply for him. And it is because I care for him that I can't stand to keep hurting him behind his back. Shaking my head, I answer, "I quit the project yesterday. Couldn't stand that jerk Yamada anymore."

He instantly turns the stove off and moves to comfort me, "Oh, Aki, I am so sorry to hear that."

I stops him quickly, "It is okay. A friend offered me another freelance job a few days a go, but I refused because I am still working in that stupid project. Now that I am free, I have contacted him to accept it," I pause as he looks back at me in worry before I continue, "So, it seems you finally finished your project."

His face immediately brightens as he explains, "Ah, yes, we get a week off before we continue with the project. It seems Asami-sama is quite satisfied with the result." He pauses and tilts his head, "Which reminds me, I heard the same freaky ringtone that you set for Kou and Takato last night during my meeting with Asami-sama. I almost laughed aloud when I heard it because I instantly remembered Kou's story. Lucky, I could stop before I embarrassed myself in front of Asami-sama."

I give him a solemn grin. Yeah, it was very lucky. If it were not because of Asami amazing composure, I would have jumped from where I hid and blabbed every excuse I could find. Of course, Asami, being the great Asami, doesn't even blink, his hand moved steadily to pet my back while he kept me down. He merely asked Kirishima whose phone disturbed his meeting in annoyance and ordered the man to find it and turn it off, grumbling under his breath that one of _those dumb useless_ _girls_ must have left it there. I silently scowl when I remember those words.

Arata chuckles at the thought as he moves to make tea. I don't say anything since at that point my heartbeat has increased drastically. But tea is a good idea. It will calm my nerve. So I open the drawer where we keep our cups and take two out.

For a while, no one says anything else until we bring our tea into the living room. I sip my own tea when he suddenly says, "Anyway, it seems a girl left it there. Later, Honda-san bet with me that it must be Asami-sama's lover's phone, the ringtone doesn't match Asami-sama's image or any of his-"

He stops as I choke with my own tea. I cough to clear my nose and he rubs my back gently.

"Aki, you shouldn't drink too fast," he chastises me.

I can only nod without replying. He looks at me while soothing my coughing with more pets on my shoulder. When I finally calm down a bit, he continues softly, "Talking about lover, I am very sorry, but it seems I can't celebrate your birthday with you."

His eyes are filled with worry when he observes my reaction to the news. But after rounds and rounds of Asami fucking me without mercy last night, I don't have the strength to pretend surprised. I am so tired. '_I know, Arata_', I want to say, '_and it is okay, it is not your fault. If any is at fault, it is me_'.

I can still remember vividly Asami's face as he told Arata to leave Japan a day before my birthday for the next project. His damned smug grin and icy golden eyes decorated his handsome face.

_"Is there anything else that is more important than this, Takagi-san?" Asami asked arrogantly when Arata sounded hesitate to agree. The bastard smirked since he already knew the answer even before he asked. I knew Arata has asked for leave a long time a go, planning to spend my birthday together with me. It is not fair for Asami to push him like this._

_Having limited options to deliver my anger discreetly, I pinched Asami's thigh as hard as I can. It must be hurt. But Asami just raised his brow at me for a brief moment. Tapping his forefinger at the tip of my nose, he silently warned me before giving his guest his full attention once again. _

_"Asami-sama, of course not, your project is our top priority. We will-," Arata's colleague tried to answer. But Asami stopped him short._

_"I don't remember asking you, Honda-san," he coldly said, "So, Takagi-san, is there anything else that is more important than my business which stop you from giving your full effort?"_

_There was a long silence before I heard Arata said, "No, Asami-sama, this project is my top priority." His voice is sharp without doubt. And I close my eyes in defeat. Asami's message is clear. Hell, the whole situation is clear by now. This explained the long hour Arata worked for Asami's project. The bastard did this on purpose._

_Now I noticed how every time something happened, Arata would need to work long hours to the point where it is simply madness. Arata had to work like crazy not because Asami needed him or because Arata wanted it like that. I was the reason. I did something, Asami wouldn't be happy, and it was Arata who paid the price. How messed up everything can be?_

_Asami might rather die than to admit the truth, but his jealousy is very obvious to me. And a jealous Asami was as dangerous as letting a starving lion in a city full of defenseless people. These relationships were unhealthy for everyone involved. It was another sign to end this before Arata ended up death at Tokyo bay. Because sooner or later, Asami would realize that however he named our relationships, he still needed to share if he wanted to continue this charade._

"Aki?" Arata voice wakes me up from my daydreaming.

Slowly, I look at his sweet eyes. I take a deep breath before I say all my carefully planned words in a rush speed, "I am sorry, Arata. I can't continue our relationship anymore. It is not your fault. It is mine. I don't think I can..., " I stop when I lost all my practiced words as I see Arata's shock face.

I decide not to give any more explanations. Right now, everything I say will sound like an excuse to defense myself. So, I just touch his hand softly before I manage to whisper, "I am truly sorry, Arata."

* * *

I open the penthouse's door with my foot because my hands are full with grocery bags. I always buy some every time I come home. But the fridge must be empty by now. Asami doesn't bother to have homemade dinner. Unless I cook, he prefers to eat outside. More practical, he said. It is just not healthy, in my opinion. He should take better care of his health.

I snort at my own thought. And he always complains that I don't take care of myself, always putting myself in danger, blah blah blah. Huh, he should talk to the mirror. I am not the one who smokes, drinks liquor instead of eating proper meals, and practically works almost 24/7 non-stop.

After putting my shopping bags on the kitchen counter, I send a quick message to him, '_I m going to make dinner, what time will u be home tonight?_'

I am not sure whether he knows I am at home or not. I saw one of his men outside and I know some more have been following me around discreetly for the last few weeks. But I don't think they will report to him for this kind of petty matters.

His reply comes a few minutes later, '_Let you know in an hour._'

Kirishima's message comes a minute after that, '_Brat, do me a favor and give me a few days notice the next time you want to come home. I can't do magic, you know. And I definitely need some magic to clear Asami-sama's schedule tonight. How long do you plan to stay home this time, anyway?_'

I laugh at his scolding until I realize what he just said. '_...if you want to come home_'? Is that what going back to his penthouse is to me? Coming home? It gives me a shock to admit how true it is. Even when I come back here the first time after three years, I can't help but feeling relief that there isn't much change in our home. I am not sure how I would react should I found any trace from other people beside Asami and I here.

Well, it is another confusing stuff that I need to contemplate more. But for now, I reply Kirishima, _'Oh come on, Kirishima-san. I know u secretly hide some special power. Otherwise you won't survive working for the bastard for so long. Besides it is just 2 days. I have assignment in Osaka the day after tmrw. So I m thinking to stay here until then._'

He doesn't reply anymore until I finish putting the chicken into boiling water.

'_I ll see what I can do. Next time, at least tell ME first! I can keep my mouth shut if you want to give him surprise. What I can't do is re-arranging his schedule at the last minute. Got it, brat?_'

I smile. Kirishima is just like a mother hen. He keeps complaining but he will do it anyway. Sometimes I wonder whether there is anything he won't do for Asami.

'_Got it. Really truly thanks, Kirishima. U are the best!_' I send the message quickly. But a few seconds later, I decide to send him another one. I really want to know.

'_Is he happy?_'

Kirishima's reply comes fast.

_'Define 'happy'. If what you mean by happy is that he is giggling and jumping around like a little girl, he definitely isn't. And he won't, I dare to bet. But he just gave Suoh and I a full night off. He smugly SUGGESTED that WE need to get laid and relax once in a while. YOU conclude yourself, boy. YOU r not stupid. Now, shut up and let me do my work. He looks at me suspiciously because I keep texting u. I prefer my head to stay where it is._'

Oooh, I totally miss bantering with Kirishima about that bastard.

* * *

Mariko works for a cleaning agency with clients from the high-class society. The payment is quite good and it helps to pay her husband's debt. But heaven knows how those rich people make such a mess with their houses. Sometimes, she doesn't even want to know where all those suspicious liquid comes from.

That day she is scheduled to clean a few luxurious apartments in the area. She is puzzled to see Akihito there and almost calls him out. She knows that Akihito and her brother lives quite far from there. Then she sees the grocery bag and how Akihito greets in a familiar manner a bulky bodyguard whom she recognizes from her past experience cleaning a few apartments in the same building. Not that she knows the bodyguard's name or anything. But she has seen him every time she comes to the lavish apartment building.

So, instead of calling her brother's boyfriend, her instinct tells her to follow him quietly. It is not a difficult task considering she has a cleaning job in the same building. No one notices anything strange when she enters the building or when she flashes her employment ID to the receptionist. But when she arrives in the lift area, she is surprised beyond words. Akihito calmly enters a private lift that she knows will access the one and only penthouse on the top floor. How does Akihito get the access to that kind of place? Moreover, why does he need to bring grocery there?

She can't follow Akihito then since her access card doesn't grant her entry to the penthouse. But she can't shake the feeling that something is definitely wrong here. So, as soon as she is done with her work for the day, she decides to wait for Akihito at the coffee shop across the building. She knows that Akihito may already leave when she is busy at work. But she still wants to give it a shot.

Akihito doesn't come out no matter how long she waits. And she considers the idea of calling everything off. It may be just a coincidence. Akihito must have some reasons to do whatever it is he is doing. And it is none of her business. From all these two years she knows the man, Akihito has showed her and her family that he is a good man. Moreover, he takes a good care of Arata. And for her, that is a good enough reason to leave Akihito alone.

But at this moment, her gut tells her differently. So she calls Arata to meet her in the coffee shop after work. When her brother enters the place, she waves at him to get his attention. He gives a gesture that tells her he is going to buy some drinks first before he comes to her table. She nods.

She notices that her brother looks a bit messy. There is a dark circle under his eyes. Does he get enough sleep?

"So, what are you doing in this area, nee-san? And why do we have to meet here? Everything is just much more expensive around here. This coffee's price is even double the usual one I buys every morning," Arata complains.

She doesn't know what she is going to say to Arata. She can't accuse his boyfriend based on feeling without any proof, can she? She doesn't even know what kind of crime Akihito does, if there is any.

"I just had cleaning works here. And we haven't talked much recently so I thought we could chat. I miss you, you know. You are so busy lately with works you haven't even called me. I see Akihito more than you." She neutrally answers.

Arata look at her and slowly sips his coffee. "Guilty as charged," he shows his palm in a surrender gesture. Sorrow fills his face.

"Arata, what's happen? You look sad," she asks.

Her brother sighs before he puts his cup down. "It is okay. Aki and I just had some arguments. I guess he doesn't like my long hour works. But don't worry, nee-san. I am sure he will cool down soon. He can be very stubborn when he is mad," he explains.

Her heart starts to race in her chest. "When did that happen? And where is Akihito now?"

Her brother relaxes more into the comfortable chair as he replies, "It was a few days a go. He spent the last few days at his friend's place. But I am sure he should left for Osaka by today. Kou keeps me discreetly informed, actually. He is very supportive about our relationship. By the time Aki come back, he will be calm already and we both can talk with a cool head."

She tries to keep her face calm. She prides herself for her poker face. But it is hard to keep her cool when it involves her brother. She sips her own coffee to hide her nervousness before she confirms, "His friend told you that he already left this morning to Osaka? Do you know where his friend lives?"

Arata absent-mindedly answers while adding more sugar to his cup, "Yups, Kou texted me that Akihito left his apartment this morning, saying that he has assignment at Osaka. Kou lives near our apartment. That is why I don't feel worry to let him stay with Kou until he cools down. If anything happens, I can always come to him quickly, " he pauses for a while when he notices Mariko's concern, "Don't worry, nee-san. Akihito is always hotheaded. But once he cools down, we are going to be okay."

She just nods at her brother's assurance. She truly hopes that he is right. But somehow she can feel that the storm is coming to her brother's life. Whatever it is, she won't let her little brother be drowned in it.

What Mariko doesn't notice in her worry is a pretty girl who keeps following her around the whole day since Mariko started following Akihito. That girl now sits quietly in the corner of the coffee shop, observing Mariko and Arata as she sips her own apple juice. Juices are good for her baby. Her rival's death is also good for her baby. And she will do whatever good for her baby.

She knows that she can't do something rush to the boy or his man over there. It will be too obvious and she doesn't want Asami-sama to notice her moves. Disturbing the boy or his man may alert Asami-sama. That woman, however, is definitely not under Asami-sama's protection. She is too old and way too plain for her master's taste. But Emi has a feeling that this woman who is now talking with the man she has seen together with that boy could be her ticket to get more information. What she needs is a plan. And making a plan is her specialty.

* * *

**Part 2. Letting You Go (Part 2)**

"Ahhh, I am so full."

I lay my head on Asami's lap as he sits on the luxurious leather sofa in the living room. The huge flat screen TV is on but muted. Asami takes a sip from his glass of whiskey while slowly brushing my hair with his other hand. Taking his fresh masculine smell into my lung, I close my eyes and wish that this moment could stay forever. _But nothing last forever, Akihito_, I warn myself.

"How's work?" He asks, his hand plays with my bangs.

I sigh. Somehow I can predict our conversation will end in a more serious topic. "Ah, I quit a full-time project I took before. But I am sure you already know by now? Oh, but Sato-san, she was my partner in that project, called me a few days a go. It seems the chief got injured or something. Gossips said that he crossed the wrong person. I am not surprised, though. With his personality, it will happen sooner or later. Well, I don't like him, but I still feel bad for him. Anyway, Sato-san said that someone replaced him and asked whether I want to go back to the project or not. But I already took another project," I know I blab. But I can't help it. I am so nervous.

"Hmm," he murmurs noncommittally.

I peek at him and our eyes lock with each other's. From my point of view on his lap, his body looks even more gorgeous. He just wears his bathrobe, hairs still wet from shower, chest glistens with clean sweat; he is sexy as fuck. I take a deep breath to calm my increasing heartbeat. I have decided that, one way or another, we are going to discuss our issues today.

"Do you ever want to have a child?" I suddenly blurt. My eyes never leave his.

Whatever he expects me to say, this one is obviously not it. But he hasn't run to the hill for his life. So, I guess, it is a good sign. He just pauses for a while before answering my question.

"No," he simply says as he takes another sips of his whiskey. I wait for him to tell me more, but he keeps quite. I already know that he doesn't really like children. He once said that they are too noisy and annoying. He had enough in his plate with one troublemaker brat, he said mockingly years back. But this confirmation still breaks my heart. I keep my cool, though.

"How many other lovers do you have?" I continue as I slowly move to straddle him.

My next question makes him raising his eyebrow. "What is this, Akihito? Are you trying to interrogate me?" he smirks with amusement dancing in his eyes.

I tilt my head as if I consider my answer for a while, dragging my thumb leisurely on his lower lips. My other hand moves to grab a certain toy that I have hidden previously. "Well, why not? You know, it is like role-playing. I capture you. You are my captive. Now I ask you question and you will answer." The tips of my fingers trace his chest muscles. I like the way his muscles react to my ghostly touches. It makes me want to lick him all over.

His eyes lit with excitement, "And if I don't want to answer?"

I move closer until I can feel his warm breath on my lips. Bringing his hand together behind his back seductively, I return his smirk, "Then maybe I should torture you to get the answer that I want." And I put the toy I have hidden on his wrist. He tries to look through his shoulder, but the cuffs prevent him from doing much.

"I can break this crap easily," he mocks smugly.

I roll my eyes and pout, "Of course, you can. I am not stupid. That is just a toy. Not everyone has access to the real handcuffs like you, bastard. I just want to build the mood, so don't you dare to break them. Geez, have you ever role-playing before? Oh, no, of course you haven't. You will just do everything so seriously and so over the top. Maybe you will appreciate it more if I brought the real cuffs, after all." I wave my hand around in angry exaggeration.

He chuckles at my sulking, "Fine. Let's play your game. But I need to warn you. I can be quite hard to crack." He rests back to sit more comfortably.

I grin, "Well, maybe other people are just trying way too hard to crack you. Maybe they just need to take the gentler approach." I continue my slow exploration on his body. Right now, I am towering over him with my knees on each side of his thighs, "So, how many other lovers do you have?"

He leans the back of his head on the top of the sofa and looks up at me, smirking. "_'Other lovers'_, Akihito? So, we agree now that you are my lover?"

Oh, trying to distract my attention, isn't he? I bow down and bite his left nipple playfully. Hard. And I can hear his breath stops for a very short moment. It is extremely subtle and I won't even notice should I haven't learnt all sign his body gives when he is turned on over all these years.

I grind my ass against his hard cock. "I ask the question. You answer it. Are we clear?" My tongue licks his abused nub to sooth it.

His pleased laugh is deep and it makes his chest vibrates in a very nice way. So I rest my cheek on it, nuzzling.

"If this is your idea of torturing, Akihito, people will start to queue to get tortured."

I shrug innocently, "Violence is way too overrated." My hand makes small circle on his skin, massaging his inner thighs. I lazily make my way down, biting and licking alternatively along the way. Once I kneel between his legs, I open the knot of his bathrobe tie with my teeth, resting both my hands on his powerful thighs. He doesn't wear anything under his robe, and his erection stands proudly in front of my face.

"How many, Asami?" I look up at him as I wait for him to answer. My tongue is ready to lick his arousal. And as the musky smell of his masculinity fills my nose, I can feel my own arousal pools in my groin.

He suddenly jolts his hips so his cock briefly touches my tongue and I move back in surprise. That jerk! Does he really understand what role-play is?

But when I glare angrily at him, he simply closes his eyes and leans his head back to relax. He obviously decides that it is not a bad idea to let me pleasure him this way so he will play along and just enjoy my teasing. I am sure not many people can sit almost naked, with their hard cock displayed in clear view and hands cuffed at the back, and still manage to looks like they are god waiting for his humble servant to bow down and worship him.

"None," he replies shortly.

His answer makes me freeze for a few seconds. I look up at him, but he still closes his eyes, ignoring my disbelief.

In shock, even I forget my role and mutter in my usual tone, "Then where do you stay every time I am not here?" The question is out before my brain can process my mistake. And I can see that he realizes it as well from the broad smile that appears in his smug face.

"You are jealous, Akihito," he says calmly with eyes still closed.

I automatically scowl at his words. I am ready to shout, 'I am not!' but manage to stop myself. _Calm down, Akihito, don't let him destroy your pace._ I take his huge cock into my mouth, putting it in slowly until the head throbs at the back of my throat. I hum and I can hear his subtle gasp as he feels the vibration I create. I keep sliding in and out, using my tongue whenever there is room to do that. Taking my time to swallow his cock as deep as possible like how he likes to do to me, my hand rolls his balls gently.

I can hear his breaths get heavier. And when I rest one of my hands on his lower arm to get a better position, I feel all his muscles there tighten in an effort to keep his own hands from breaking free so he can grab my head to make me move faster. I am touched that he keeps his words to play along. So when his cock fills my whole mouth, I swallow hard, massaging the bulging head of his erection with my throat.

He growls. His voice is coarse when he rasps, "Everywhere, Akihito. Everywhere else is better if you are not here. There isn't your scent, your noisy voice, your scattered stuffs; everything about this place looks, sounds, and feels wrong without you here."

His honesty strikes me harder than any punch and for a while, we just look at each other in silence. Arousal is totally forgotten for now.

"Why don't you move out then?" I ask softly, my voice is full with emotion.

He shakes his head in a sad gesture but doesn't say anything else. Shit, and I thought before that there is no way to address him and sadness in the same sentence. I close my eyes to get a better grip of my feelings that threaten to spiral wild any time now.

"Yet, you let me go." Somehow, I feel the urge to put the blame on him.

"I did. You may not remember it well, Akihito. But after the Russia incident, your condition is quite bad. You kept crying, fighting, and trying to get away. Not that you haven't fight or run away before. But you don't cry like that, ever. I tried to talk with you, asking what trouble you so much. But you didn't explain, only saying that what we have is not normal. And when you didn't get any better, I decide to let you go. At least, for a while. Some sort of post-traumatic syndrome, the doctor explained."

I stares at him. I don't really remember the details after the incident. But still. I remember thinking that he doesn't understand, that he might be killed because of me one day. Or that I might be killed and he will go into crazy revenge. Even until now, I still have the same worry every time it concerns him.

"It hurts to see that as soon as you left, your condition improves. Slowly at first, but it becomes faster as time goes. Especially after you meet that Takagi boy," he explains and emotionlessly smirks at me. The amusement that usually accompany his smirk doesn't reach his eyes as he continues "Indeed, violence is way too overrated, Akihito. Because I thought any kind of physical pain will be much better than seeing your candid photos day after day with admiration for another man in your eyes in every pose possible."

His voice is flat and cold, like he is reading a financial report to me. Like he doesn't give a fuck about all this. Like I can't hurt him anymore than this and whatever I do doesn't matter to him.

But I know better. Not that he ever laid all his honest emotions in the open between us. Not like this. There is always a thin layer of facade for us before. He uses his calmness and lustful charade to hide his love. And I always hide behind denial and stubborn pretense. So, it is not like I have seen him baring all his feelings before. But, somehow I just know that it actually does matter for him and it still hurts him, even after all this years. It is funny that it doesn't take a single bullet to hurt the great Asami Ryuichi.

"I am sorry." What else can I say?

He closes his eyes and rests his head back.

"It is not your fault. After some time, I take it as a lesson; a warning that I am not strong enough to protect you. Yet. But, now? Now, I am stronger than ever. No one in all five continents dares to disturb me unless they want to make war. And I take other precautions steps as well to distract any unwanted attention from you," he pauses to open his eyes, looking at me, "But I still can't guarantee that everything will be fine. Unfortunately, there is no such guarantee in my world. So, I give you an escape plan. A back up."

I hold my breaths as I start seeing his reason.

"...Arata?"

He scowls when he hears the name like it is a snake that will kill him with its venom. But then, he sighs and nods.

"I saw him and you together and what I saw is an opportunity to create a safety net for you. He doesn't know anything. I checked his background, his family profile, and everything that is related with him. He is clean. He can be your cover. Should something ever happen to me, you can still have the normal life you wants with him. I have set up enough fund for you and as many children as you want in the future to live in complete luxury for the next seven generations. I prepared it with enough precautions steps to make sure that there should be no problem for you to make the claim. Yes, I know you want children, Akihito," he leers at my shock, "What? You want to have a kid with me, Akihito? You want to raise your kid with a criminal, no matter how powerful he is, and let the child lives in danger every day for the rest of his or her life? Is that what you want for your children? That Takagi dog is so naive beyond stupidity but his ignorance fits his purpose. He doesn't know anything about the darker side of the world that I am sure he can give you the normal life you have always wanted. And as long as people see you with him in public places, they won't think that you are related with me in any way. Everyone knows I don't share."

I am speechless. "And you still don't share."

He sighs tiredly, "I also don't like children. But sometimes, couples just have to make compromise. I thought it is normal?"

"So, Arata is merely a collateral damage for you. Someone you sacrifice to get what you want."

He looks at me intensely before he answers coldly, "I will sacrifice him and everything else for your safety and happiness, yes."

I close my eyes and try to rein my emotion, preparing myself for what I am going to say next, but it is hard. When I open my eyes again, I am shock. For the first time since I met him, the great Asami Ryuichi looks so tired. So defeated. This man does everything he can to ensure my safety and happiness. He is ready to sacrifice (or maybe already has!) his own safety, his own needs, his own pride, his own happiness, and even his own desires. For me. To the point he doesn't know what else to do.

Apparently, behind the multilayers of strength and wealth, Asami Ryuichi is just another man. Madly powerful, yes. Impossibly rich, yes. Damned evil, most probably. But still, just a man. He hurts like every other man on earth, and bleeds like one.

And he said he is hard to crack.

Good Lord, if you are truly out there, let me rot in the deepest of the seventh hell for there is nothing that can save me from my sins. Especially, the sins that I am going to commit now.

I take a deep breath, and in a calm voice and steady gaze I tell him the only truth that I know, "And I will sacrifice him and everything else for yours."

* * *

Asami runs his fingers through the light brown strands, enjoying the smooth feelings of Akihito's silky hair. His boy sleeps naked on top of him. His head rests peacefully on Asami's strong torso as the older lover caresses his slim back. The steady heartbeats calm Asami in a way that he never thinks possible before. The damp and warm skin reminds him of their mind-blowing sex.

Asami stops himself at that very word. No, not sex. They didn't have sex. They made love. He has never thought about the difference up until tonight. Sex is what he does with those whores that he has never got any feeling for. It is merely something he does to satisfy his basic needs. Like a starving man who will eat anything just to survive, regardless the taste.

What he does with Akihito, though, is always a totally different experience. And tonight, it is even better. Unconsciously, he smiles at the memory of Akihito clinging desperately into his shoulders. Their sweaty bodies moved in a perfect sync, chest to chest, his cock deep inside his lover's ass. Their hungry mouths devour each other like two starving beasts. Tongues were busy sucking and licking. Hands groped and fondled everywhere. And everything else but his beloved partner faded out into the background.

His power. His wealth. His status. Everything became insignificant compared to this man in his embrace. Akihito is his everything. He focused his mind to observe his lover's behavior, detecting every little detail on how Akihito's lithe body responded so eagerly to his touches. He savored every whimper that came out of his lover's throat as his practiced hands massaged Akihito's manhood and stroked it with wild abandon.

"Ahh...," his young lover moaned wantonly, panted. And he felt his heart swelled with pride knowing that he was the only one who can make Akihito reacted like that. Oh yeah, he knew that really well. He once heard the secret sound recording between Akihito and that Takagi dog. He almost laughed at the voice Akihito created in that recording. It sounded so...shallow. He knew then that the dog would never satisfy his insatiable boy. But the knowledge still didn't stop the overwhelming pain that grew deep inside him. He never asked Kirishima to include any more recording both in video and sound in Akihito's daily report after that.

Tonight, however, Akihito was so uninhabited. The boy didn't even bother to pretend. He clearly showed how he enjoyed every kiss, every touch, and practically everything that Asami gave him. And Asami gladly rewarded his lover, showing his appreciation in a seamless combination of pain and pleasure that he knew Akihito loves so much. Besides, any kind of pretense at that point would just look shallow after what they had admitted to each other.

He could feel it when Akihito got so close to coming. His skin color blossomed into a beautiful shade of pink. His moan turned into pitiful sob. His movements became jerky. He started to beg Asami in uncompressible pleadings.

"Wait for me, Akihito," he commanded.

And Akihito almost shouted his frustration in tears. But his lover waited for him no matter how miserable he already is. The boy gripped his arms, holding for dear life as Asami shoved his huge erection hard into him. The powerful crime lord couldn't help but smirked at the sensation of Akihito's muscle swallowing his cock hungrily. If someone ever asked him where his home was, he would answer without hesitation that it was here, deep inside his lover's body.

"Oh..._aaah_!" Akihito exclaimed as Asami thrust into him. His lover's body arched like a bowstring in his excitement.

Asami closed his eyes, not stopping even for a heartbeat while he relished the bite Akihito gave him when the boy tried to hold his arousal back, hoping to extend that incredible moment they shared even for a second longer as the movement of Akihito's hips lost its finesse. Asami slammed into Akihito as deep as he could, loving the connection and the sexy sound their bodies created every time he thrust into his lover. Faster. Harder. Stronger.

It didn't take too long until he whispered in his young lover's ear, "Now, Akihito. Come with me, now."

When Akihito finally came right after his permission, the boy screamed his pleasure so loudly, letting Asami heard and felt it all through his release until they were both sated. He could feel Akihito's muscle twitched around his cock as his boy milked every last drop of cum from him. They stayed still for a long moment, Akihito rested on top of his body. But he didn't mind it at all. If it was one of those whores...he didn't even want to think about it. Not now. Not with how perfect everything was. It was then when he heard Akihito's voice, so soft that he almost missed it.

"I love you, Ryu. Always."

_I love you too, Akihito._ He bit back his reply and closed his eyes tight, trying his damned best to control the emotion that threatened to go wild. But it was even harder than when he had to keep his cool as his enemies put a gun on his chest and threatened to burrow a Teflon-coated bullet into his body when he just started his business.

Akihito's movement snaps him back from his lover snuggles to get more of his body warmth. Asami slowly moves Akihito so that the boy can sleep in a more comfortable position. But his lover insists on clinging onto him. People always think that Akihito is weak due to his lean body. Well, they are stupid for even thinking about that. Asami understands perfectly that if Akihito seriously fights him, he will have trouble restraining the boy. Akihito really knows how to fight and how to use his speed to defeat his opponent. Luckily, his lover always fights his embrace half-heartedly. Otherwise, he will need to take a more drastic measure to ensure the boy's obedience.

Watching his lover who sleeps so peacefully on top of him, he chuckles quietly at the irony. Ten years a go, if someone dare to tell him that he will fall so deeply in love with a brat more than ten years younger than him, moreover to let that brat turns him into a body pillow like this, he will surely explode that person's head for his or her stupid joke. And look at him now.

When he hears Akihito's breaths get deeper and steadier, he slowly releases himself from the boy's tight hold. Giving one more kiss on Akihito's forehead, he wears his robe and quietly walks out of the bedroom into another room that he uses as his home office.

Asami quickly lights a cigarette and pours himself a drink. Leaning into his mahogany desk, he enjoys the silent night breathing the nicotine with the incredible view displayed from the full wall window. His other hand holds a manila envelope Kirishima passed to him before he left for home today.

It is Emi's latest medical report. He furrows his brow at the thought of the girl. In the beginning he thought that the girl is the most similar one to Akihito. But as time goes on, he can see perfectly clear that the girl is completely different from his lover. He still can't be sure what the problem with the girl is, but he knows the girl hides something bad. It takes someone evil to recognize another evil one, he believes. Well, he will find it out sooner or later. And whatever evil the girl tries to hide, he is sure that it couldn't be more evil than him. He grins wickedly at his own thought.

For now, the girl will serve her purpose in his grand plan. It takes some time for his plan to give result but finally everything starts to come together. Kirishima doesn't think this will work, but obviously the man is wrong. He beams at the report. A child. His child. Akihito's future child. And the pregnancy is already 5 months old. He can't really believe it as he looks at Emi's photo that is included in the report. But the girl is always a bit small like his boy.

He can imagine Akihito's happiness when he informs the news a few months from now. His lover doesn't need to know the detail on how Asami gets the baby. Asami knows that the boy will melt immediately at the thought of having a child to complete his _normal_ life. And with his power and wealth, such a thing can be easily arranged. In fact, he is sure Kirishima has all the paperwork ready as soon as his perfect secretary receives the medical report from the doctor.

He doesn't understand Akihito's attachment with children. For him, they are nothing but the source of trouble. He can't even imagine holding his own child. Actually, that idea gives him a horrible shiver. But whatever makes his Akihito happy will be done. He has promised Akihito.

He carefully thinks back at his entire plan that he has worked on for the last three years. He has calculated every step, action and risk to ensure Akihito's happiness. But somehow, his instinct tells him that something will go wrong despite his perfect planning. And he has learnt to trust his instinct a long time a go. He sighs. Come what may. He will solve whatever problem later. It is stupid to shrink in fear for something that hasn't happened yet.

He seals the envelope back and put it inside his drawer before he locks it safely. It is time to get back to his lover. By now, Akihito will miss his warmth already. And Asami will happily provide it for him.

He has two days to enjoy the time with his lover before he needs to release the boy back to the world. But now, with his plan smoothly on the way, he still has a lifetime to share with Akihito. There is no need to rush. He smiles as he walks leisurely back to the embrace of his love.

* * *

Kirishima is up and ready by the time he answers his phone. It is still dark outside. But sleep is forgotten as soon as he hears the specific ringtone he sets for Asami-sama. He lives in the same building with Asami-sama, he can be in the penthouse in a few minutes. He takes his Glock and put it in its holder. Giving a quick glance at his bedside clock, he notices that it is still 4 in the morning. He starts to worry, is something wrong?

"Is there anything I can help, Asami-sama?" he immediately asks efficiently.

He scans his brain to remember Asami-sama's condition when he left his boss penthouse last night. His boss has been in a very good mood for the last two days. But this morning that brat will leave to Osaka. He remembers the boy told him that his partner in the project would pick him up early morning so they can grab some equipment first before taking the Shinkansen. Maybe his friend suddenly can't pick him up and Asami-sama wants Kirishima to drive the boy?

His boss' angry command, however, freezes Kirishima's blood.

"Find Akihito. Block the roads! Stops the trains! Close down the airport! Burn down the whole Tokyo for all I care! Just. Bring. Me. Back. My. Boy!"

And they do all of that. Well, they don't literally burn down the whole Tokyo, but it is close enough. They search for the whole day, the whole week, the whole month, but they can't find Takaba Akihito. Whatever the boy does to remove his trace is so good that Kirishima feels impressed. Not that he dares to say so to his boss. Asami-sama is in such a fury that Japan, no, let him correct it, _the whole world_ practically trembles at the crime lord's black mood though only him and Suoh know the real reason.

It seems the boy left the penthouse early morning, saying that his friend had picked him up. Having no suspicion, Asami-sama let him go. Until he woke up a few hours later, finding the boy's note in the kitchen counter, complete with a plate of carefully wrapped breakfast beside it. Did the boy lose his mind, thinking that Asami-sama would just read his note calmly and ate the breakfast he prepared like nothing happened? Whatever that stupid kid had in mind, by the time Asami-sama found the note, it looked like Takaba-sama had disappeared not only from Tokyo but also from the planet. No one can find him or his trace anywhere.

It is months later that Kirishima finally gets the opportunity to be the only person who is allowed to take a look on the legendary note the boy left behind. It is short. But even Kirishima feels his heart breaks when he reads it. He can't imagine the pain Asami-sama went through when his boss read the note for the first time.

_I will sacrifice him and everything else for your safety and happiness. That is why I am letting you go. Find your happiness, Ryu; someone who can support you instead of being a burden. And, please, be safe. That is all I need for my happiness. You promised me._

_Love, Akihito._


	7. Chapter 7 Hide and Seek

**Hi all, **

******Thank you for those who has followed, reviewed, and messaged me. It pushes me to write the next chapter faster and hopefully better. Please continue to let me know what you think about the story. I really really appreciate it. :D**

**Work has been hectic lately and this chapter is a bit shorter than usual. It may also take me slightly longer to upload the next chapter. But Akihito will be back in the next chapter and he will finally meet his 'babies'. Emi will make her move. And everything will go to chaos. **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**Disclaimer : Viewfinder belongs to Yamano Ayano.**

* * *

**Chapter 7. Hide and Seek**

_"I seriously don't understand him, Haruka-san. I mean, no one other than him and his damned bodyguards will see me anyway! So, why do I have to buy more -," the boy made air quotes with his fingers as he mockingly yelled, "'-_PRESENTABLE CLOTHES_'?! He literally booked the whole cinema only for the two of us! For safety reason, my ass, I know what the pervert truly wants right away! There is no point for me to wear anything fancy just for that!"_

_Haruka quietly admitted that the boy had a point. It wouldn't even matter if the boy came to the regular Friday dinner naked. Hell, it might be even better. It would save some time needed by his boss to get the brat out of his clothes. But there was no way she would agree with his theory aloud. If Asami-sama wanted to buy something nice for his lover, then it would happen. So, she just silently walked alongside the boy towards the entrance of the boutique._

_It was a peaceful Thursday night. Well, unless you counted the agitated boy who stomped his feet sullenly beside her, she believed that the whole day was quite calm. Asami-sama had a good mood lately, especially when Friday was near the corner. Business had thrived tremendously in the last few months and Sion group had strongly established its power over the five continents. Suoh-san became slightly more cheerful and talkative. Even Kirishima-san looked much more relaxed recently. And heaven knew how uptight the man usually was. It seemed his boss' new lover brought some kind of fresh air for them all. _

_She shook her head. No, Takaba-sama was not a new lover. According to Kirishima-san, the boy had been together with Asami-sama for a few years previously. But some circumstances forced them to stay apart for a while. It was hard to believe in the beginning, that her cold and ruthless boss was so attached to such a boy. But as she got to know the boy better in the last few months, she started to understand the boy's charm. Takaba-sama was like the sunshine that brightened the darkest shadow with his kind and easygoing attitude. It was a rare quality nowadays, especially in the world his boss lived in. No wonder the crime lord fell for the boy, though it was a secret that only few knew._

_Not that she knew anything about love. She didn't believe in love romantically. Haruka witnessed how miserable her mother was because of her love for Haruka's father. All the man did in his pathetic life was gambling, abusing his family, and playing around with whores, leaving her and her mother in debt and poverty. At 10 years old, she vowed that she would never ever rely on any man, moreover on her father. She would survive on her own. She didn't need love or marriage. _

_When her father finally died in a sudden traffic accident, she didn't feel anything for him. It was a tough time, though. She worked so hard to get the scholarship that allowed her to continue her study. Getting her degree in finance as top of her class, she worked for one of the best company in town, making more than enough money to support her mother. Life was good for a while and she thought that the world finally sided with her. It was then that she made the biggest mistake in her life._

_"Earth to Haruka-san." the boy's voice snapped her back from her memory._

_Takaba-sama stood at the entrance of the boutique, waiting for her to enter the place as he helped the shop assistants to hold the door open. She smiled. It was this kind of little thoughtful acts that made her fond with the boy. Even though the boy was treated with extra care and love by almost everyone around him, he didn't become selfish. Instead, he was unfailingly thoughtful and considerate._

_"Thank you, Takaba-sama, but you don't have to do this," she said when she passed him._

_The boy grumbled behind her as he followed her inside, "What do you mean, I don't have to? Of course, I have to. You are a lady. My mom will kick me in the ass if I dare to forget my manner."_

_The shop was a high-class boutique with celebrities, millionaires, and socialites as their main customers. Tonight, however, the entire shop was closed for Takaba-sama's private shopping. Haruka helped the boy to select a few clothes that she knew would show off his sexy ass and lean body. She honestly thought that the clothes made him look incredibly hot. And her boss would definitely love the effect the clothes did to his lover. But the boy gave a sullen pout as he went to the fitting room to try his new outfit._

_"I feel like a whore preparing for her customer," he muttered under his breath._

_Haruka just sighed at his attitude. She had to admit that the boy was very prideful. But sometimes, his useless pride made everyone's life difficult. Though Takaba-sama would never know about it._

_As she waited patiently for him, she heard commotion from the entrance of the shop. Feeling curious, she walked towards the front door. A man and a pretty young woman stood there, facing away from her while they are complaining harshly to the shop manager for not being allowed to enter the boutique. The shop manager had sweated like crazy as he good-naturedly tried to calm the couple down. _

_"I am sorry but this shop was booked for private shopping tonight," Haruka explained to the couple sternly._

_The man turned towards her and shouted, "Who dare to-"_

_He froze. As well as Haruka. For a long moment, they just stared at each other. But she quickly gained her composure and told the man strictly, "As I mentioned, tonight, this shop is for private shopping only. I ask you to leave, Sir, or I will call the security."_

_"Do you even know who we are?" Wanting to help her husband, the young woman moved forwards and asked unpleasantly. _

_Haruka kept her face flat as she replied emotionlessly, "I am quite sure I do, Kasumi Takamiya-san, daughter of the head of Takamiya group. And this gentleman must be your husband, Daisuke Takamiya, the vice president of Takamiya enterprise. Again, I am very sorry for any inconvenience, but the entire shop is booked by Asami-sama for tonight. Now, can you please leave the premise before I call our own guards?"_

_Both of them stilled when they heard Asami-sama's name. Their eyes were wide with hidden fear. Stuttering in shock, Kasumi asked, "Do...do you...you mean...THAT Asami Ryuichi?"_

_Haruka smiled amusingly at her, "The one and only, I believe."_

_The shop manager immediately bowed down very low as he confirmed further, "As I explained, Takamiya-sama, I am very sorry, but Asami-sama has booked the entire shop for tonight. However, we will be delighted to accept you at any other time. Shall you want-"_

_Feeling shamed, she cut him short as she walked away, "Like I will come here again, you useless fool!"_

_Her husband still stood there, though. His gaze was disgusting as he looked at Haruka. Haruka narrowed her eyes when the man audaciously greeted her, "Haruka-chan, it has been a long time." _

_The shop manager looked confused with the turn of event. But, Haruka had enough already. She told the manger, "I believe that everything has been handled here. Please call the security if Takamiya-san still refuses to leave." Then she walked back to the fitting area to check on the boy._

_It took a few fittings and a hell lot of arguments to finally pick one set of clothes that Takaba-sama resentfully agreed to wear for tomorrow dinner. She told the boy to sit in the lounge and to enjoy the tea and snacks that were provided by the boutique while she was taking care of the rest. There was no need to pay their shopping now, of course. All bills would go directly into Asami-sama's account. But she wanted to secretly include a few more set of clothes that Takaba-sama tried before. It truly looked good on the boy. Besides, Kirishima-san had instructed her to buy a few additional sets for future events as well._

_It was when she waited alone for the shop assistants to wrap everything up, that Daisuke Takamiya sneaked back and grabbed her from behind. His breaths felt awful on her skin._

_"Don't pretend that you have forgot already, Haruka-chan. It hurts, you know. I miss you so much yet you act so cold towards me," the asshole whispered in a voice that she was sure toned purposely to sound husky but instead it sounded ridiculous._

_She kept calm as she tried to reason with the crazy man, "Let me go, Takamiya-san and no one needs to get hurt. You have a reputation to uphold. What will your wife say shall she know what you are doing right now? Where is she anyway?"_

_Licking her earlobe, he replied, "I sent her home, of course. I know you wanted me to come back to you. You love me. Remember?"_

_Daisuke started to grope her body and squeezed her breast. Feeling totally appalled with this jerk, Haruka quickly grabbed the man's arms, planning to throw him to the nearest wall and giving him a lesson he wouldn't forget in the near future. This man was her biggest mistake and the only regret she had in her life. She should have known better than thinking that love might be there for her after all. When Daisuke dumped her to marry Takamiya's daughter, she didn't shed a single tear for him. Instead she laughed at her own stupidity. She lost her career at Takamiya's enterprise because Daisuke wanted to get rid of all evidences. But if Daisuke thought she was still the same fresh graduate girl he played around with years back, he would get a huge surprise. However, before she could do much, she heard an angry shout from the other side of the room._

_"Hey, what are you doing to her?!"_

_Everything happened so fast as Takaba-sama suddenly launched himself into Daisuke. Haruka was shock that the lean boy apparently hid so much strength inside his body. The boy punched the older man over and over again as he yelled, "How dare you?! Don't your parents teach you to be respectful to women?!"_

_Daisuke tried to fight back. But it seemed the man got fat and slow with age. None of his blow even hit Takaba-sama. Snapping herself up from her amusing observation, Haruka moved to stop her boss' lover from seriously hurting the man. Actually, it was not a problem even if Takaba-sama ended up killing the asshole. Their legal department would clear everything right away and the boy's involvement wouldn't even be mentioned in any official report. But, she knew that his kind heart would make him feel extremely guilty afterwards._

_"Takaba-sama, it is okay. I am okay," she tried to calm him down._

_The boy was so angry, though, it took her some time to be able to completely separate him from the jerk. By the time she managed to do that, all the shop assistants had came out because of the uproar. She quickly did a fast check for injury. She was quite sure that the boy was totally okay from her previous observation, but it was always better to re-check. Tears streamed down the boy's cheeks, but other than that, he didn't get even a scratch. She released a relief breath._

_The shop manager eventually came but froze at the sight. She calmly told him to call the security while she called Suoh-san to bring the car around. She asked the assistants to help bringing all their shopping. Takaba-sama was quiet as she led him to the waiting car in front of the shop. Suoh-san was ready to assist the upset boy to get into the car._

_It was when they were safe inside the car that she heard Takaba-sama murmured dejectedly, "I am so sorry, Haruka-san."_

_She frowned, "Why? You didn't do anything wrong, Takaba-sama."_

_"I should have come sooner! Then you didn't have to go through that! But I was so mad at this whole shopping thing that I sulked. If I knew that the jerk did that to you, I would stop him immediately!" he wailed._

_She smiled at his outrage, "Well, you didn't know. No one could guess that the man was crazy. But, thank you for defending my honor. Next time though, don't do anything dangerous like that anymore. I would be fine even without help."_

_"Of course not!" he quickly snapped at her. "That man touched you in a...a..," he paused, waving his hands around as he looked for a polite word to describe his thought before finally continued, "...a disgusting way! It would not be fine! I should help you, protect you!"_

_She almost laughed at the whole absurdity. She could send Daisuke to the hospital with serious injury in a mere 5 seconds. And this boy who was a few years younger than her claimed that she needed protection. But of course she kept it all to herself. Instead she teased him, "Are you trying to say that woman is weak, Takaba-sama? Because I can protect myself."_

_The boy's shock was obvious. "I didn't mean it like that! But you are my friend. I care for you. And Suoh. And Kirishima. Wherever you are, I want to help you if you are in trouble," he softly explained._

_His honest admission stopped her from teasing the boy further. She looked closely at the younger boy who hanged his head in regret. Warm emotion filled her heart, but she wouldn't show any of it._

_"You know what, Takaba-sama," she said calmly in an effort to distract the boy from his remorse, "Just now, you sounded exactly like Asami-sama when he talked to you. Well, of course, minus the lust you obviously have for each other." She grinned at the boy._

_The boy immediately forgot his disappointment and shouted in denial, "What...what do you mean? I so did not sound like the bastard!"_

_She smiled, "Please forgive my bluntness, Takaba-sama. Didn't you just complain about Asami-sama safety precautions? He just wants you to be safe. I am sure he knows that you are strong and you can protect yourself. But just like you know I can protect myself and yet you still want to help me, it is the same with Asami-sama. Asami-sama cares for you. Indeed, the way he shows his care may not be in the way that you prefer, like when he asked you to buy those fancy clothes. But, people always want to do something for the person they cares about."_

_The stubborn boy instantly blushed. A beautiful shade of pink decorated his entire face, even to the tip of his ears. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to deny the notion, but he quickly closed it again. It was quite amusing, actually, to observe his awkward behavior. Haruka tried her best to hide her smile, keeping her face as straight as possible. Finally, Takaba-sama looked out of the car window as he muttered very quietly that she almost missed it, "I know. I care for him too."_

_A few weeks later, Kirishima-san told Haruka that the boy had disappeared._

* * *

The girl comes to Asami-sama office wearing clothes that, in a glance, makes her look exactly like the real Takaba-sama. Haruka freezes for a while, thinking that Takaba-sama has suddenly got tired of playing hide-and-seek since, no matter how long he hides and waits, they can't find him. Then, she takes a closer look and realizes that it is one of the replicas Kirishima has told her, Emi.

Haruka hasn't met any of those replicas herself because Kirishima prefers to handle everything that is related with Asami-sama personally. But, as Kirishima-san's assistant, she is the one who takes care of their needs behind the scene. Such as transferring their incredibly generous monthly allowances that always make Haruka shakes her head in disbelief. Well, considering the risk that they take, she doesn't think she feel jealous of their fortune, though.

Despite her boyish appearance, Haruka has to admit that Emi looks pretty. Looking at her slim body, no one will think that she just gave birth to two baby boys no more than two months earlier. Haruka sighs. At least, the girl has a better fashion sense than the boy. The color of her clothes accentuates her short light brown hair and hazelnut eyes.

Emi walks in a way that reminds Haruka of Takaba-sama. Even the way the girl stands looks exactly the same. It seems like every single movement of the girl is a perfect copy of Takaba-sama's. And for a minute, Haruka just stares at Emi as she feels goosebumps rise all over her body at the creepy similarities between the girl and Takaba-sama.

_Shit, what kind of person does this kind of thing to other-_

She stops the thought immediately. She already knows the answer. It is her boss. And it is not part of her job to comment on her boss' kinkiness.

"Emi-san, you shouldn't be here. If you want to see the twin, I am sure we can-"

But the girl cuts Haruka's sentence, waving her pretty hand arrogantly, "Where is Ryuichi? I want to see him."

Haruka frowns at Emi's rudeness. Who does this girl think she actually is? Not even Takaba-sama talks to any of Asami-sama's subordinates like that. And she dares to call Asami-sama by his first name. But Kirishima-san has trained her better to react to this kind of impoliteness. So she keeps her smile as she replies, "I am afraid Asami-sama is very busy right now. I don't think he will have time to receive your sudden visit at the moment, Emi-san. If you have any concern, I can pass it-"

"You think you can hide him from me, don't you, bitch?"

Haruka stares at the girl, her jaw hanging open in disbelief. Does she hear the girl correctly? Maybe the long hours working to find any trace of Takaba-sama and takes care of the twin has finally took an effect on her and she starts to hallucinate.

"I beg your pardon?" she asks carefully.

"Don't play deaf. You heard me. How dare you speak to me like that? Do you even know who I am?"

The last one is a very good question and Haruka also wants to know the answer. Because Haruka is quite sure that the girl is only one of those people who sold her body to Asami-sama and signed the contract to bear his children. And therefore, she believes Emi doesn't have the right to disturb Asami-sama unreasonably.

Before Haruka can form any reply, the girl answers her own question, "I am the mother of your master's children. I give him two healthy boys. My boys are his heirs now and it gives me all the rights as Asami-sama's partner. So, from now on, you will direct me as Asami-san and give me the respect I deserve as his wife and the mother of his children. Asami-sama is the king, my sons are his princes and I am the queen. Do you understand?"

No, Haruka doesn't understand. What is this "king" and "princes" and "queen" she talked about? Besides, last time Kirishima-san told her, Asami-sama's successor is still called Takaba Akihito. Well, considering that the person is missing right now and that the children are-

"Do. You. Understand?" Emi repeats with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Haruka decides it is time to end this disruption of her work. She still has a lot of tasks to do today and a boy to find before she needs to babysit the twins. They just received a report, informing that a person who looks like Takaba-sama has been seen in Korea. And now, Kirishima-san is somewhere in Korea looking for the boy. Suoh-san is downstairs organizing their men to gather as much information as they can get. Her boss is in the meeting room next door, battling a tough negotiation alone because all their resources are spent to find any traces of Takaba-sama. They really don't have the energy for whatever it is Emi wants. So, Haruka takes her phone and quickly presses the speed dial for Suoh-san.

It seems Emi realizes what she is doing because the girl quickly moves towards her. Taking a knife out from her pocket, she attacks Haruka. It is a stupid move. Haruka has certifications of a few different martial arts. So she easily kicks the knife out of Emi's hand and holds the girl's hands behind her back. Emi instantly curses at Haruka as she tries to get free from Haruka's tight grip.

But Haruka slams the girl into the desk, not too hard to hurt her but enough to let her know that Haruka is not her match in physical fight. It messes the things on Haruka's table, though, and the high pile of Takaba-sama's photos falls from its holders at the corner of her desk. Takaba-sama's daily reports from the last three years is scattered everywhere around them as Emi knocks the entire boxes down in her fight to break free. Haruka groans at the thought of filing each of those papers back into its corresponding section. It will take ages and she really doesn't have time for this right now.

However, Emi becomes very still and quiet after that. The girl stares in silent at the mess of papers and photos around them, unable to move due to Haruka's strong hold. Good, maybe now she will be more cooperative. What is wrong with the girl? Haruka will definitely report this incident to Kirishima-san later. Maybe it is better to bring the girl to see doctor immediately. She can hurt herself in her condition.

Grabbing her phone that now lies on the floor, Haruka quickly calls Suoh-san. The man answers instantly though he sounds tired. No one gets enough rest since Takaba-sama left. They all work very hard to find anything that can be used to find the boy. His parents, his so-called boyfriend, his best friends, his colleagues, his neighbors, even the people who works at the 24/7 store that he frequently visits. They trace down everything and everyone the boy meet and touch for the past few months. But so far, they have no success.

The only thing that they know right now is that the boy bought a round trip Shinkansen ticket and booked a hotel room in Osaka before he left, which distracted their attention for a while. He even had a real project there. But the boy's colleague told Kirishima-san that Takaba-sama canceled the job in the last minute. There are so many other traces in Osaka, and after a day searching, Asami-sama decided that it was all just distractions.

Once they moved their attention from Osaka, they managed to find another trace from Takaba-sama. Hong Kong's immigration informed them that their file noted the boy's entry into the country a few hours after his disappearance. They also logged the boy's departure less than three hours after that. Asami-sama contacted Feilong immediately, demanding the truth on his involvement in the boy's disappearance. But after a hell of threats and intimidations, Asami-sama decided that Feilong really didn't know anything.

Kirishima-san took the private jet to Hong Kong as soon as they received the report. However, he couldn't find "_Takaba Akihito_" listed in any commercial transportation from Hong Kong to any other countries. Neither he could find a passenger with the boy's physical characteristics. Feilong did everything in his power to help Kirishima-san tracking down most of the private flight but it was near impossible to find all of it, especially the illegal ones. The security camera didn't help much as well. However he did everything, the boy was very neat. They haven't got any other real trace since then.

As Suoh-san's men lead the now quiet Emi back to her own apartment, Haruka shakes her head wearily at the mess Emi left behind. The thousands of photos of the boy stare at her in their various still and silent poses.

_Where are you, Takaba-sama? People who care are here looking desperately for you. Don't you care anymore?_

* * *

The twins' cry wakes her up again that night. Haruka grumbles and moves to find her sandals. Her body feels heavy as she walks towards the children's room to see what their problem is now. She gets used to it already by now. But it doesn't make it any easier.

Haruka was speechless when Kirishima-san explained the whole situation to her a few months after the boy's disappearance. By that time, Emi was scheduled to give birth in a month or so. But the secretary just couldn't find someone that he could trust enough to take care of Asami-sama's children while they were looking for Takaba-sama.

The original plan was for Takaba-sama to take them in as his own sons once the twins were born. Then he and his so-called boyfriend can raise the kids in a normal environment with Asami-sama supporting them discreetly. But with Takaba-sama's disappearance, it was not a possible option anymore. They needed to make a quick adjustment. Especially since Asami-sama doesn't look comfortable to be near his own children. His boss practically goes rigid whenever his babies were near.

Well, biologically, the babies are his boss'. But legally, they are Takaba-sama's. All the official documents register both boys as Takaba-sama's children. It was a bit confusing in the beginning. But now she can understand the sentiment behind the decision.

It took a month until Asami-sama finally gave in and named the boys so that Kirishima-san could take care of the '_official'_ birth certificates. She couldn't blame her boss for postponing it until the last minute. Kirishima mentioned quietly that their boss hoped Takaba-sama would be the one who named the boys.

The older one is Takaba Rikiya. The younger one is Takaba Naoyuki. _Strength_ and _Happiness_. She doesn't understand why her boss picked the name, but as the boys grow, she can see that the names fit both boys. Rikiya is calmer and stronger physically, while Naoyuki loves to laugh.

For the past two months since the boys were born, Haruka and Kirishima-san take turn to stay in the penthouse and help to babysit the babies. Suoh-san is definitely out of question since the man is impossibly awkward with children. Tonight, it is her turn. She walks quickly, two bottles of warm milk in her hands. She is afraid that the babies' scream will wake her boss anytime now. Asami-sama needs as much sleep as he can get.

However, she stops at the door to the children's room when she sees Asami-sama inside. The man holds Rikiya in his arm while petting Naoyuki in the babies crib with the other hand. She carefully walks toward her boss, aware that the powerful man knows her arrival the moment she steps into the room.

"Do you bring their milk, Haruka?" the man asks without turning to face her.

"I do, Asami-sama. I am very sorry to disturb your night. Please continue your sleep, I will feed them," she answers with a low bow.

The man stills for a while. Then, he turns and reaches his free hand towards her. "Give one bottle to me. I can help to feed Rikiya while you feed Naoyuki," he simply says.

Reluctantly, she passes one bottle to him. Holding Naoyuki in her own arms, she lets the peaceful silence calms her down. The only noises come from the boys sucking their warm milk hungrily. Feeling curious, she observes her boss from where she sits. It is weird to see how Asami-sama can behave so gently now considering how awkward the man with his own kids before.

"I thought you don't like to be near them," she absentmindedly says before she can stop herself. _Shit_, she quickly regrets it. She must be very tired that she can't filter her brain anymore.

Her boss doesn't look offended by her honest comment, though. He walks to stand near the long window, facing away from her scrutiny. His broad back looks as strong as ever though Haruka knows for sure that the man must be very tired by now. When he doesn't say anything for a few long minutes, Haruka thinks that he will ignore her slip of tongue.

But then, without looking at her, he says, "Well, I can't sleep and they are crying. I may as well help you to feed them."

He bends his head to kiss Rikiya. Calmly putting the baby on his shoulder to make Rikiya burp as if this is not his first time, he murmurs soft praises for his child.

"Besides, they are my only memento of him," he suddenly continues, his voice is cold and flat as if he is merely negotiating business like she has witnessed numerous times before. His icy tone is a complete contradiction to his words. Haruka can't see Asami-sama's face so, in the beginning, she is not sure whether her boss feels truly sad or not. Asami-sama just stands there silently, rocking his first-born son in his solid embrace.

But somehow, she can feel all the sorrow radiates from deep within him. It is so strong that it hits her speechless. She can't stand the sight anymore so she closes her eyes. She still doesn't believe that love is something meant for someone like her. But if love truly exists and there is someone out there who has the honor to see this thing called love first hand, moreover to receive it, then Takaba-sama is one of the lucky persons.

_Wherever you are, Takaba-sama, _she vows quietly, _we will find you. Then I will punch you myself. I will tell you what a stupid mistake you had made. That's what friends are for, anyway._

* * *

When Arata sits in front of Mariko in the cafe, his sister looks nervous. She keeps glancing back over her shoulder. She even jumps in her seat when he touches her hand gently.

"Sorry, Arata, I am just-," she shakes her head to clear her mind, "I just feel that someone has been following me around for the last few weeks. But I can't be sure. Must be my imagination."

He straightens himself in alarm when he hears that. But his sister stops her with a wave of her hand.

"Don't mind me. I can protect myself. Your problem is our top priority right now. How is it? Do you hear anything from Akihito? Does the scary men who looked for him come back?"

Arata sighs as he answers, "No, they don't come back after the last time they barged in to our apartment. I called the police after that but they ignored my report. Even Kou starts to worry. Those men also came to him and Takato. Aki's parent told me that some men also questioned them around the same time. And so far, there is no news from Aki."

Rubbing his growing headache with his fingers, he continues, "Where is Aki? Does he get involved in something dangerous? It is possible considering his previous career in criminal photography. Is that why he wanted to break up with me, to protect me from his problem? What should I do? I am so worry about Aki, I don't know what to do."

Mariko doesn't know what to say. In her opinion, it is better for her little brother to move on and to forget Akihito. This whole situation reminds her of the time when her own husband left her with debts. Suspicious people knocked their door looking for him and the jerk was nowhere to be found. Will it be better if she tells Arata about seeing Akihito at that high-class neighborhood? She is still considering the options when she sees a person standing across the street behind Arata, staring intensely at her. She freezes. It is Akihito.

Akihito smiles at her. His hand brushes his light brown hair before he waves lightly. Mariko stands abruptly and opens her mouth to tell Arata. But a bus passes, blocking her view of Akihito for a short moment. And when the bus disappears, so does Akihito.


	8. Chapter 8 Going Back Home

**Hi,**

**Apparently, having more pressure at work makes me write faster. :D**

**I also want to thank everyone that has leave reviews, fave this story, and follow it! Your thoughts and comments help me sorting the story in my head faster. So thank you very much! Please, terribly please with cherry on the top, keep your reviews coming. You don't know how much it helps me. :)**

**For those who asked why Emi is still around, it will be answered in the next chapter which will focus more on Asami and Emi. **

**Disclaimer : VF belongs to Yamane Amano**

* * *

**Chapter 8. Going Back Home**

**Part 1. Loneliness Kills The Cat**

I lie on the white sand beach, enjoying the warmth of the never-ending summer in this tropical paradise. Eyes closed, I spread my arms and legs wide, trying to relax my whole body. The soft wind blows through the coconut trees nearby and the muffled rustles of its leaves slightly calm my chaotic heart. But nothing can stop my mind from wandering to the only place I want to be.

_What time is it in Japan? What does Ryu do by now? Is he well? Is he safe? Does he eat properly? He often skips his meal. He must not smoke and drink too much. It is not good for his health. By the way, what time is it in Japan now?_

I repeat every single thought silently in my head over and over again.

I understand that it is for Asami's own good that I leave him. I am not going to watch him getting hurt because of me again. And if I stay with him, I know I will just bring him down. I am a liability that he needs to cut loose so he can survive in his world. A burden. A weakness. This is not the easiest decision, but it is the best for both of us. My logic knows this old arguments well. My stubborn heart, in the other hand, refuses to accept it.

_Let him go, Akihito. You have no place in his world. Just like he will never be comfortable in your world. You both are just way too different. Stop thinking about him. Move on. You have your own life to live now. Sooner or later, he, too, will accept your decision. And everything will get better. _

But it is easier said than done. I struggle to take a deep calming breath. But that still doesn't stop a willful teardrop from falling down on my cheek. Angry at my failure to control that single drop, I rub my cheek violently to wipe it away.

It doesn't help that the whole place reminds me of my time with Asami in that tropical island. Why didn't I run away to the North Pole, anyway? I am sure nothing will remind me of him there. Oh, right, it is because Tao is the one who arranged everything for me. And according to him, South East Asia is the safest place for me right now. It is a relatively neutral zone controlled by Asami's acquaintance, someone who respect him enough not to hurt me but doesn't work for Asami that he will go the extra mile to find me.

I don't think I can go this far without Tao. For years since the Hong Kong incident, even after I broke up with Asami, Tao and I always keep in contact. When I consulted him about my messy relationships with Arata and Asami, Tao didn't judge me at all. Instead, he asked whether I was sure about my decision to leave the two men. And when I said I did, he told me to describe my plan in detail.

"Leaving Arata is simple, Aki. He is a normal man. You can just break up with him like any other normal couple in the world," he said. "But leaving Asami won't be that simple. Men like him hate to lose what they claim as theirs." He quickly added when I protested, "I know you think that you don't belong to him. Or to anyone else. But he thinks that you are his. For him, it doesn't matter what you think. His instinct is to keep you and to protect you. Trust me, if you leave, he will hunt you down to the end of the earth and he will destroy anything that stands in his way."

Tao sounded so sure and mature that it annoyed me a bit. I was much older than him. He shouldn't be the one who make advices. The last time we met in Hong Kong, he was just a young boy who did whatever Feilong told him to do. How come he grew up so fast in just a few years and I didn't realize it until now? So, just to maintain my pride as the older one, I mocked him, "Yeah, says the 15 years old boy."

He didn't take my teasing seriously, though. Surprising me with his calm confident, he replied in a strong and steady voice, "I can tell you this, Aki, because I will do the same if I am in his position."

His plain answer sent a shivers down my spine. Where had the naive and cheerful boy that I met in Hong Kong gone? Every time we called each other with Skype, I saw how he changed bit by bit. He got taller. His posture became more like a man than a boy. His face lost its innocent attributes. His movement was more graceful. His voice turned deeper and his tone was full of confident. But the biggest change was the way he talked that somehow reminded me of Asami. Or Feilong. It sounded as if he could see everything from a perspective that normal people couldn't see. As if there were a line that separate their world with the normal world where us commoners lived. I didn't really notice the full weight of the difference up until that moment. And somehow, this new Tao made me feel even more scared. If Asami and Feilong's world could change Tao so much, how could I be sure that it wouldn't change me as well? What would I become if I stayed there?

When Tao realized that I didn't have a solid plan other than making up a fake journey to Osaka while hiding somewhere else, he offered his help. In the beginning, I felt reluctant to involve him in my personal problem. But his argument convinced me.

"You won't get far without help, Aki. You may not know, but Sion group is one of the strongest organizations in the world right now. Asami has eyes, ears, and hands everywhere in all five continents. If you stay in Japan, he will find you in a matter of hours. If you hide in another country with a tourist visa, he will track you down in a few days by tracing your passport and bank activity. Even if you can, by any luck, hide from him, most probably wherever you go it will be either Asami's or his enemies' territory. Sooner or later, someone will find you and return you to Asami to get his favor, or someone will kill you just to spite him. You are my friend, Aki, my only true friend. Friend is a rare thing in my world and I don't want my only true friend to die. I know you will do this no matter what I say. But please, at least, let me help you," Tao said sternly when I called him from a random Internet shop half a year a go.

It is one of Tao's strange rules that I must not call him with my own phone or laptop. He even gave me software that I have to run to kill any third party application trying to track or record our online conversation. Just to stay safe, he told me. For me, it looks like the kid becomes more and more paranoid as he grows up. I don't know how Feilong raises him because Tao has never talked much about himself, enjoying my stories better than telling his own. But I make a mental note that Feilong and I will have a serious chat about what-you-should-and-shouldn't-teach-to-your-adopted-son as soon as I can.

From what he told me, it seems that Tao has independently built his own little empire behind Feilong's back for the last few years. And that was how he got me out of Japan illegally without Feilong knowing anything. Tao brought me to South East Asia through one of his secret routes. And with his help, I passed a few country borders without going through the normal immigration processes, which is why Asami can't detect my movement so far. At such a young age, Tao may not have as much power and wealth as his adopted father yet. But his wide connection and the loyalty of his men truly impress me. I guess, without connections and loyalty, he won't be able to keep his business a secret from the world, moreover from his father and Yoh's scrutiny.

I finally open my eyes when I realize that no matter how hard I try to relax my mind, it won't work. I can't stop my brain from thinking about Asami. Maybe it is not a wise decision to come to this holiday resort. It is actually Tao's idea. He heard about this place called Raja Ampat and he thought having a short holiday in paradise would snap me out of my memory of Asami. Besides, since I left Japan, Tao had acted discreetly as my manager, handling my contracts with an international science magazine. And after months working in a tough photography project in the deep forest of Borneo, he thought that I needed a break. "You can't keep working like that, Aki. You need to reward yourself once in a while. It will help you to relax," he argued. But apparently, he is wrong. Having nothing to occupy my mind just makes me feel even more depressed.

I glance at the watch on my wrist. I sigh. It is still 10 in the morning. A day seems to pass even slower when you are alone.

_Wait, if it is 10 am here, what time is it in Japan now?_

* * *

That night, I feel like I can't stand the loneliness anymore. It is not that the place is not beautiful. This holiday resort is breathtakingly stunning. I even took a few amazing pictures here. The sea is great for snorkeling and surfing. And it gives you a quiet personal time. It is a perfect place if you want to escape from your daily routine and the pressure of big cities.

The problem is that it doesn't matter how beautiful the paradise you live in is if you can't share it with the person you love. I see the deep blue ocean and I wish that Asami were here with me. I see the cozy natural room and I blush at the idea of what the pervert may do to me on that sturdy bed. I gaze at the clear starry night and I long for his touches and caresses and embraces.

I decide that I need a distraction. So, after dinner, I try to find a public Internet connection. The first thing I do is checking my email. I will search any news about Asami later, saving the best for the last. Arata, Kou, Takato, and my parents have sent me hundreds of emails in the past six months. Of course, I don't reply to any of them.

Tao helped me once to send a short anonymous message to my parents, informing them that I am okay. I don't know whether they realize that it was me. But I don't dare to put my name in the message. I don't want Asami to find out that I still contact them. Who knows what he will do? The bastard may torture my poor parents just to get information.

There are some new emails. Most of them are from my parents. They write their emails daily as if I always reply back to them, telling me stories about things that happen in their life and asking me about my own day. I chuckle at their latest email about how my mother caught an underwear thief in our neighborhood. I pity the thief for meeting my mother. He must be the unluckiest thief in the world.

What suddenly catches my attention, however, is Arata's latest email. His emails usually ask where I am and beg me to come home. But this one is different. The subject freezes my blood and I think my heart stops beating as I read the full content.

_From : Takagi Arata_

_Subject : Mariko is missing!_

_Aki,_

_I am not sure whether you truly read any of my emails since you never reply. But I don't know what else to do. Mariko is missing for three days days now. She went to buy some milk from the convenience store near our parents' house one night and she never returned. _

_It is my fault, Aki. She told me someone has been following her, but I don't really pay attention. I am too busy with my own problems. We reported it to the police but they didn't do much since she is an adult._

_Aki, I told you some menacing men came to our apartment looking for you. I told them that you weren't in the city. I refused to tell them where you were even if I knew. What if those men kidnapped Mariko because I didn't want to tell them about you? Maybe they think I will tell them where you are if they take her. What if they hurt her? What shall I tell my parents if something bad happened to her because of me?_

_What should I do, Aki? Please, Aki, come home. I can't do this alone. Whatever your problem is, we can face it together._

_Missing you, Arata._

* * *

**Part 2. Tao, James Bond, and Asami Ryuichi**

My heart beats frantically as I push my way through the crowd. Holding my backpack tight, I run towards the ticket counter. I was lucky that the hotel manager could get me transportation to the city in such a short notice. But now I need to get into the first flight back to Japan.

After struggling with various administrative procedures, I release a relief breath when the lady behind the counter finally passes my flight ticket to Tokyo. I tuck my ticket safely with my passport and keep it inside my jacket pocket. The satellite phone Tao gave me rings when I leave the ticket counter.

"Aki? Why on earth the phone's GPS told me that you are not in Raja Ampat? Don't tell me you use your real name to get a transport to the city?" he questions me as soon as I answer his call.

I already run towards the immigration by that time. The gate my plane is departing from is already opened and the announcement repeatedly asks for the passengers to enter the boarding lounge immediately.

"Sorry, Tao...it is emergency," I inform him quickly while catching my breath. "I will explain later. I need to go to Japan for a while. Arata's sister is in trouble. Asami kidnapped her."

"What?! But, why? Aki, calm down, you are panic. You don't think clearly! Why would Asami do something so useless?" The boy practically yells at me.

His reply as if Mariko is useless upsets me more than his comment that I don't think clearly. I scream back at him, "USELESS? Tao, since when have you not care about other people anymore? Has your heart turned into stone just like Asami's and Feilong's? Someone could get hurt or even die because of ME! I can't just stay here sunbathing!"

"Asami WON'T do something as stupid as kidnapping your ex-boyfriend's sister just to get you, Aki," he growls low dangerously.

"Oh, and how do YOU know? Let me guess. Is it because that is something YOU won't do? Who do you think you are?! Asami's fortuneteller?!"

"Because he will think that you are a bit smarter than this! Once you go back to Japan, Asami will get you and there is no way for you to leave him ever again. He will put you in a cage that you will need to ask his permission to even taking a fucking pee! And it may truly happen if you go to Japan now. Trust me. Aki, you put both of us in danger. Now calm down-"

I cut him, "No need to help if you don't want to, Tao. Now, I need to hang up. I have to go through the immigration and save someone."

"What?! Immigration? Shit, Aki, you can't! What are you even doing in a commercial airport, stupid?! Get out from the airport, NOW! Aki, you don't understand-"

I hang up and turn off the phone. What? Does he think that we are in some kind of action movies? Besides, this is not Japan. Not even Asami has that much power to control other country's authority. He is not a God like what everyone else thinks he is. He can't be everywhere and knowing everything. I will do this very fast that he won't even realize what I have done.

I shake my head at Tao's ridiculous behavior as I queue in front of the immigration counter. Seriously, how Feilong raises the kid is beyond my imagination. Somehow Tao thinks that he is the main character in a James Bond movie. It must be Feilong's influence. Their world is obviously not something suitable for kids.

When it is my turn, I obediently pass my passport, flight ticket, and immigration form to the officer. He looks bored as he takes my documents. But when he opens the detail page, he stills. He quickly scans my passport and taps his finger impatiently while waiting for the results. In fact, he scans it twice as if to make sure that the information is correct. Slowly, he looks up at me.

"Takaba Akihito?" he asks in a strange accent.

I nod, "Yes?"

The officer nods back nervously as he grabs the phone on his desk. After dialing some numbers, he talks rapidly in the local language. I don't understand anything that he says. But the way he keeps glancing at me makes me feel uneasy. I keep moving my body weight from one foot to the other in an effort to calm myself.

Finally, unable to stand the nervousness any longer, I ask him, "Excuse me. Is there any problem with my passport?"

Indeed, I may have entered the country illegally. But Tao's men told me that the _'fake'_ entry stamp in my passport was official and legal. They explained that having no official entry stamp in my passport might cause problem if there was any documents checking. That was why, even though my entry to the country was not officially registered (which apparently is possible in some countries!), I should be able to pass the immigration safely if needed. Or so they told me.

The officer tries to smile to calm me down, but he doesn't look convincing. In a slightly broken English, he explains, "It's okay, Sir. My colleagues will come assist you. Just wait here."

His _colleagues_ consist of three bulky men whose appearances scare me right away. All the terrible stories about people being sent to jail in some third world countries flash in my mind. And for a while, I think I can't breath. Horror fills my entire body when I realize that I am in a big trouble. Alone. In a country which language I can't speak at all. Without Tao or Asami to save me this time. The next thing I do before I can think properly is to turn away and run.

"Sir, stop!" one of the officer barks loudly at me.

But my basic instinct tells me to ignore him. I run as fast as my feet can bring me, which is quite fast, actually. But obviously those men are fast as well. People scream all around me as I push them out of my way. A lady falls hard on her side when I quickly run between her and a fat man beside her. Looking back over my shoulder, I yell my apology to her. But I can't just stop to help her now. Not with the additional officers who are now running towards me.

By the time I reach the end of the hall, people shout in a few different languages from every corner of the airport. I can hear a lady yelling the word _'bomb'_ somewhere behind me. _Shit_. In my panic, I don't pay attention to where I go. The signs in this country are not so clear. And I am not familiar with the place. I scan my surrounding quickly to find anything that can help me to escape. _Think, Akihito, think!_

"Sir, this is second warning. Stop!" The same voice warns me.

I decide to take my chance with the door. But before I can grab the handle, a loud gunshot echoes clearly behind me. Everyone around me screams and covers their heads, lowering their body to the ground.

I freeze instantly.

The officer talks to me calmly in his stuttering English, "Sir, that's warning shot. Come peacefully and we don't shoot you."

Both our ability to speak English may not be so perfect, but his message is clear to me. And so, I slowly turn around and carefully raise my hands.

* * *

After putting handcuffs on my wrists, they take my satellite phone and backpack and leave me in a small room. Seeing the handcuffs sends a sharp pain to my heart, remembering the unreasonable feeling of safety that I felt as Asami caressed me while I was kneeling naked at his feet inside his luxurious office. Deep down I wonder whether I will be able to see him again. Will he reply if I send him a letter from jail? Will he come to see me? Will he even remember me? What if he has another lover by now? But, isn't it me who asked him to do so?

An officer comes and gives me a glass of sweet tea, some snacks and even an international newspaper. This people are quite friendly, in my opinion, considering I am someone who will go to jail soon. I try to ask why they detain me. Inwardly, I am worried that it is because of my illegal entry to the country. But they simply smile and shake their head. I am not sure whether it means that they are forbidden to talk to me, or they simply don't understand what I am trying to say.

However, I don't wait for long. In less than an hour, two other bulky officers come and bring me towards another door. The door leads to a gate connecting to a plane. I feel so confused. Where is the jail? Why do they bring me to a plane? Is the jail in another city?

The entire plane is lavish but empty. It seems that I am the only passenger. They help me to sit on one of the seat near the alley, fasten my safety belt, and leave.

As soon as the plane takes off, a Japanese looking man comes to sit beside me. The man looks friendly and kind. And when he greets me in Japanese, I immediately release a relief breath.

"Takaba-san, my name is Himura. I am from the embassy of Japan and I am here to assist you. You are safe and there is nothing to worry. At least, for now. We are now in a flight back to Japan. For some reasons that I don't know in details, our government has requested every country in the world to deport you as soon as you pass their immigration. Which is why you are here now. I have made a call to Japan before we take off to make sure that someone will take care of you as soon as we land," he explains politely with some sort of pity in his eyes.

I raise my eyebrow and then shake my head in confusion, "What? Our government? Why? I am nobody."

Looking extremely uncomfortable, he avoids making any eye contact with me as he lowers the volume of his voice, "I don't know, Takaba-san. Do you remember crossing the wrong people? Do you disturb a high profile person? Does your line of work annoy someone? Do you borrow money you can't return? Do you sleep with the wrong person, you know, someone's wife or lover maybe?"

With a completely blank expression, I shake my head along with every question.

"I am just a freelance photographer for a science magazine, Himura-san. I haven't been in Japan for half a year, travelling for my project. The only things I can annoy for the past six months are a family of Orang Utan in Borneo or the monks in Cambodia. Can you please be more specific on which one of those two that I somehow annoyed?" I ask sarcastically.

He sighs. His whisper is almost inaudible as he answers carefully, "Do you happen to recognize the name of Asami Ryuichi? Because you must somehow make him truly upset for him to spend so much resources to track you down."

I look at Himura for a second before I fight to break free in a complete anger. I swear I will kill Asami.

* * *

**Part 3. There Is No Place Like Home**

"Ryu, shut up," I mumble sleepily.

But the disturbing voice doesn't stop. I try to block the noise by covering my head with the soft pillow made from the thickest arctic Russian snow-goose down. I know because I bought the pillows myself. Like Asami will have time to buy his own household stuffs. The man just demands high quality things inside his home without caring how those things get here in the first place.

_What is this terrible noise actually? Why can't the man let me sleep in peace?_

Unable to go back to my slumber, I open my eyes. _Oh, no, no, wrong decision! Close it again! It's too bright._ I enjoy the complete darkness that engulfs me while I build the courage to open my eyes again. Even slower this time. _Ahh, that was much better._

The roof that I look at is familiar. Our bedroom. In our home. I am home. Oh God, there is no place like home. Wait, didn't something like this happen before? I feel like I just get a Deja Vu.

Then I realize that the noise I heard is actually a cry. A baby's cry. More than one baby, actually, if I heard it correctly. _What the hell? Whose babies is it that dare to cry in Asami Ryuichi's home? Wait! Why am I even at home? I shall be at Raja..._

...and it all come back to me.

Raja Ampat. Mariko. Running through the airport. Gunshot. Being deported. Himura. Asami Ryuichi.

I grit my teeth as I repeat the last name in my head. The anger I felt in the plane comes back tenfold. That bastard made me run away from the security officers in a foreign country airport like a criminal. Well, I did enter the country illegally. So I guess, it is partly my fault. But if he didn't meddle, they wouldn't even know it and I wouldn't be treated as if I am a fucking terrorist in a suicide-bombing mission!

And being deported! As per my own government request! Since when does breaking up with someone become the government's business, for god's sake? Is it against the law to break up with your lover nowadays? Is it forbidden now to avoid your ex-lover by travelling to another country? Is there any official form I need to fill to report our break up?! Because I will be more than happy to fill any form to break up with the bastard at this moment. Shit, can't he just stop being so over the top with all his actions?!

I am in such a fury. I remember I tried to attack Himura as soon as I heard him mentioning Asami's name. I was so afraid of being sent to a foreign jail and apparently, it was all because of the egotistical Asami. Unfortunately, handcuffed behind my back and strapped by the safety belt around my waist, I couldn't do much. Well, now that I can think properly, it is not really Himura's fault. He was just doing his job, complying with a selfish request from a selfish crime lord.

However, Himura looked shocked by my sudden anger, he immediately called the security guards. They covered my mouth and nose with a piece of fabric full of chloroform. Which explains the throbbing headache I have now.

And the babies' cry doesn't make my headache better. _Damn it. Does the man also kidnap innocent children now? Maybe he has turned our home into a human trafficking warehouse. Anyway, how long have I been out?_

Struggling to get up from the bed, the chains around my wrists and ankles stop me immediately.

_What the hell is this now? _

For a while, I am completely speechless as I examine the long chains that bind both my wrists and ankles. Actually, the chains won't stop me from walking wherever I want. It just makes my movement difficult. But, still. I am chained. Like an animal.

_Have the bastard lost his freaking mind?!_

Furiously, I walk as fast as I can to find him or anyone else who can explain the situation to me. Because everything just doesn't make sense at the moment. Mariko is missing. There are obviously babies in my home, crying. I am chained inside my own house. And I just got deported because my lover, wait, correction, my ex-lover used his goddamned power to influence the government. Or '_the_ _governments'_, to be exact.

The next time we break up, he may as well put my wanted poster in newspapers all over the world.

But when I finally find him, I stop dead at the entrance of the room. It is actually our study room. But in the six months that I am gone, someone has turned it into babies' room. Or _emergency_ babies room, considering the mismatched layout inside. The crib blocks the entire bookshelf. All things related to baby is scattered on the study desk AND the chairs. And instead of toys, I can see Asami's gun inside its holder lies on the floor.

Asami stands in the middle of the room, facing away from me. The man calmly feeds the baby in his strong arms as if he had never told me how much he hated children. The other baby is still crying inside the crib. And I don't know which one makes me more speechless: the idea of Asami holding a child or the fact that he carelessly put his gun near children.

"Are you out of your mind?" I instantly shout at him.

He doesn't look surprise by my outrage. Instead, he simply says, "You finally wake up. How do you feel?"

I shake my head in disbelief at his ignorance. Taking his gun from the floor, I move it to the top of the bookshelf for now, away from the children's reach.

"Whose babies are they? Do you kidnap them as well?" I ask as I take the other crying baby into my arms. Searching quickly for a bottle of milk, I find one on the messy desk. The chains make it difficult for me to hold the baby in a comfortable position, but somehow I manage to do it.

Instead of answering my questions, Asami just stares at me feeding the baby for a few long moments. Then he replies shortly, "I don't remember kidnapping anyone this week."

"Oh? Really? So you don't call _'threatening an innocent man with gunshot, putting handcuffs on him, sedating him forcefully, and then chaining his wrist and ankles'_ as kidnapping? Good to know. Up until now, I thought there is law against such things, you see."

"Oh, you are so innocent, aren't you, Akihito?"

_Is that a smile I saw in his face? Doesn't the man understand that I am angry beyond words with him right now?_

I ignore him and continue, "You haven't answered my question. Whose babies are they? And what is this fuck-," remembering the babies presence, I stop myself. He sneers at my slip.

"Yes, Akihito?"

"Just release me. NOW!" I growl.

He shrugs as he moves the baby in his hand to his shoulder, trying to make the baby burps. _How does the man suddenly know the way to handle baby? What happen in these six months that I am gone? Is this truly the same Asami Ryuchi that I knew before?_

"Well, maybe I will. If you ask nicely. You, Akihito, just showed these children a very bad example on how we should behave when we ask someone a favor," he gives me a satisfied smirk while stroking the baby he holds gently.

His composure makes me feel even more annoyed. "A FAVOR? YOU ARE THE ONE WHO-"

The babies' cry stops my shout instantly. I put the bottle away and rock the baby in my arm gently, trying to calm him down. When I look up at Asami, I see him grinning at me. If I don't remember that there are kids inside the room, I swear I will use his own gun to stop that annoying smile of his. Which may end up with him fucking me senseless, so I think it is really not a wise option with children around.

"Stop shouting, Akihito. You scare them," he chastises me.

I whisper angrily back at him, "So, the great Asami Ryuichi prefers to hide behind children rather than talking like a mature adult."

Asami ignores my sarcasm. He puts the now sleeping baby in his arm to the crib before taking the one in my arms. The baby calms down instantly in his embrace. I have to admit that I am quite impressed. Who can guess that Asami Ryuchi has a hidden talent with children?

With the two babies safely tucked inside their crib, Asami leads me to the living room. Out of habit, I automatically go to the kitchen to get him a glass of his favorite whiskey. By the time I get back to the living room, I find him settling on the sofa. The lighted cigarette dangles at the edge of his sexy lips. Resting his head back, he blows the toxic smoke through his nose.

I don't give him any warning as I put the whiskey in his hand and grab the cigarette from between his fingers. Putting the cigarette away in an ashtray, I tell him sternly, "I don't know whose babies they are. But you are not going to smoke inside the house when those kids are around. At least, as long as I am here, I will make sure you don't."

Looking up at me, he absentmindedly swirls the whiskey around. Needless to say, he doesn't look worried at all when he replies, "I won't be able to smoke inside the house anymore, then."

I glare at him. "Don't worry. I won't be here for long. As soon as you release Mariko, I will be gone."

He snorts at my answer. "Don't tell me you still believe that you can run away from me, Akihito. I don't believe you are that stupid. By now you should have learnt that wherever you go, I will find you. Besides, where will you go with those chains binding your wrists and ankles? Or should I brand you with a tattoo like what Feilong did? And what do you mean by releasing Mariko? Which Mariko is this we are talking about?"

"The one you kidnapped, you bastard! Arata's sister! How many other Mariko do you have in your life?!" I yell at him.

The moment I mention Arata, he stills. The teasing smile instantly disappears. His expression turns darker and when he finally replies, his icy tone makes me shrink in fear. "I told you, I don't remember kidnapping anyone this week. But even if I did, why does it matter to you? You broke up with that useless dog already. What happened to his sister has nothing to do with you now. I will find you another dog to replace him. Someone that is much more handsome and less boring."

I can't believe my ear. _What did he just call Arata?! A dog?_

It is not that I still love Arata or anything. I know I don't love him anymore now. The only person who fills my entire mind to the point of insanity for the last six months is the arrogant bastard who now sits like a king in front of me. What annoys me to no end is the fact that he thinks so little of other people. Like the way he calls Arata or the way he thinks I will happily accept his offer for a replacement. As if he thinks I will clap my hand and jump eagerly at the prospect of being able to sleep with someone else. Does he think so low of me? Does he underestimate my love for him? Why does he think I try so damn hard to leave him if it is not because I love him so damn much?

Never before I feel so angry with him in my life. And at that moment, I am quite sure I can strangle the man to death in my rage. In a flat emotionless tone, I tell him, "In case you forgot, I also broke up with you. Shall I find another perverted dog to replace you as well? Someone that is much younger and less arrogant?"

The moment I see hurt flashing in his eyes, I regret my words immediately. The pain was there for only a brief second before he puts his mask of coolness back. But it was clearly there. Other people would not notice it. But I see it as clear as day. I know him way too well to miss it.

People said that words are as sharp as a sword. My mom told me that it is not true. You can halt your movement when you attack with a sword. Instead, words are like an arrow. Once you release it, you can't take it back. And at this moment, I will give everything in my life to take my words back.

"Ryu, I didn't mean it. I am sorry. I am just-"

"Someone younger and less arrogant? Like who, Akihito? Tao, maybe?"

For a long moment, we just stare at each other. I am confused and he is furious even though he doesn't show it much. I don't understand why he suddenly brings up Tao. Is it jealousy that I heard dripping from his questions? Why does the man need to feel jealous towards a 15 years old boy?

He stands up and strides leisurely towards me, looking as confident as a lion approaching a cornered prey. I can't stop the tremble when his fingers make a ghostly caress on my cheek. His thumb brushes my lower lips roughly. And I feel an impulsive desire to suck his thumb and show him how much I miss him even though he is such an annoying and maddening bastard.

Asami leans down until our faces are separated by only a few mere inches. I can feel his intoxicating warm breath on my face. His lips form a sensual smirk. But his golden eyes gleam with danger when he continues, "That boy is smart enough not to leave any trace in the phone he gave you. He is very neat in making sure that nothing can lead me to him. But unfortunately for the both of you, a witness in the airport overheard your conversation with him."

I feel like someone has thrown a whole bucket of ice water to me. Understanding dawns on me as I recognize the accusation hidden between his words. Stuttering, I beg in fear, " Ryu, wait, what did you do to Tao? He is not at fault. I asked him to help me. He has nothing to do with our problem. I didn't run away with him or anything! Come on, he is just a boy. He is barely 15."

But Asami just walks away, ignoring my plea. Standing behind him, I try to reason, "Feilong won't let you hurt him."

My argument halts his movement for a short while. Then he laughs. His chuckle feels unfamiliar even to my ears. It sounds distant. And evil. As if I just see another side of Asami that he has never shown me before. "Feilong would let me punish his adopted son however I wish than having his entire organization eliminated by me. Or maybe you want Tao to replace your last dog? Ask nicely and I may consider it."

I stare at him, my jaw hanging open in disbelief. I don't know what to say. I feel like I just wake up in a surreal world. My ex-boyfriend's sister disappeared. My government requested every other country in the world to deport me just because my egotistical ex-crime-lord-lover told them to do so. I am chained like an animal by the same ex-crime-lord-lover who suddenly has the ability to take care of children. And not only that, said ex-crime-lord-lover is apparently mad enough to suggest me to sleep with an underage boy so the world won't find out about our messed up relationship.

When I didn't say anything else (seriously, you can't blame me for that!), he gives me instructions in a cold voice, "You will stay here until I say otherwise. There are guards everywhere around the penthouse. Think wisely before you act. Haruka and Kirishima will help you taking care of the twins, but they won't arrive in Tokyo until the day after tomorrow. They are still cleaning up the mess you left behind."

"What? Wait! I can't just stay here doing nothing! I have things to do! What about Mariko? If you didn't kidnap her, then where is she? I have to help Arata finding her."

He slowly looks back at me and unconsciously I take a step back in fear. His eyes burn bright with hidden anger until its irises look like pure melted gold and I shudder at his calm wrath. I know I hurt his pride. And defying his orders right after I wounded his ego doesn't improve the situation. His voice is sharp with warning as he snarls at me, "Try to contact that dog if you dare, and Mariko won't be the only one missing."

And with those words, he leaves me alone. Tao's voice through the phone keeps echoing in my head. '_Aki, you put both of us in danger,'_ he said. And I didn't listen to him. What have I done? How come everything turns into such a mess?

* * *

Mariko shivers with cold at the corner of the damp room. Her face is dirty with dirt, tears, and mud. How long has she been here alone in the darkness? It feels like forever already. She has tried yelling and banging the door until her voice becomes rasp and her hands bleed. And now she has passed the point of crying for help. She knows by now that no one will come to rescue her.

Someone gives her food and stinky water regularly through the small hole on the door. But no one answers when she tries to talk to whoever it is at the other side of the door. The food is disgusting. But after some time, she doesn't care anymore. She is hungry and those filthy foods are better than none.

Mariko doesn't understand what happens. A few days after she saw Akihito across the street, she received a letter. It said that it was from Akihito, asking to meet her to explain everything. Akihito told her to meet him alone at the park near her house and not to tell anyone because he was not ready to face Arata yet. So she made an excuse that she needed to buy milk at the convenience store nearby and waited for Akihito. The next thing she knew, she woke up in this dirty room, almost naked but for her underwear.

She hears someone opening the door and instinctively she crawls even further to the corner, trying to cover her body with her arms from whoever it is. It is bright outside the door and she blinks multiple times to adjust her eyes with the light. Someone stands at the entrance of the door. In the beginning, she can only see that person's silhouette. But as her eyes get used to the light, she recognizes the person standing in front of her.

"Akihito?"

The person's reply, however, confuses her, "Akihito? Takaba Akihito, is it? I saw the name was mentioned on that bitch's papers. She didn't realize that I take a peek on her documents, too busy slamming me down into her desk, I guess. I swear she will pay for it. So, it is truly his name. Do I look that similar to him that you keep mistaking me for him? You think I were him as well when we met the other day, don't you? I have been following you around for more than a week that I feel like I have known you forever."

Something is wrong. The voice sounds too feminine for Akihito. Is it a girl?

"You are not Akihito. Who are you? Where am I? What do you want with me?" Mariko asks in fear.

The girl smiles at her. In a glance, her face looks somehow kind and naive, just like Akihito. But Mariko starts to notice a little difference here and there. Like the way her eyes lit brightly the moment she notices Mariko's terror.

"It doesn't matter who I am or where you are. But I can tell you what I want. I want all the information you know about this Akihito. You see, the boy distracts my master, and I think I don't like it. All those photos and reports on the boy's daily activity, tsk, people will think that my master is obsessed with him. And my master doesn't obsess with anything, moreover a brat like him, as if he is a teenager with hormonal imbalance."

The girl tilts her head in a way that reminds Mariko of Akihito. But now Mariko can see clearly that this girl, whoever she is, is not similar with Akihito at all. She curses herself. How come she mistaken this evil girl with Akihito?

"Like I will tell someone like you!"

But the girl just laughs, obviously excited with her reaction. She turns around, reaching her hand to someone behind her, who readily passes something that Mariko can't see from her position.

"Oh? Trying to be brave, aren't you? But you won't act like that for long. It doesn't matter whether it is you, this Akihito, that bitch, or even my own sons; I will destroy everything and everyone that stands between my master and I. Now, you can start telling me everything that you know willingly or I can force the answer out of you. Whichever you choose, Mariko-san, I will certainly enjoy our time together."

And then Mariko sees what she has in her hand. It is metal handcuffs with some clamps attached and wires that are connected to a box in the size of a car battery. And when the girl orders the goon behind her to put it on Mariko's body, Mariko' screams echoes inside the empty dark room.


	9. Chapter 9 The Victims of Evils

**Hi,**

**I will be quite busy in the coming weeks, so I want to upload this chapter early. :)**

**As always, thank you for those who has reviewed, faved, and followed. This story will reach its climax soon. But I am planning to write the continuation, a series of how Asami and Akihito's daily life is with the teenage twins and their 10 years old angelic sister. If you have any input/feedback, kindly let me know. Oh, and since I am so bad at making names, if you have any suggestion for the name of their daughter, please let me know in your review or message as well (with the meaning, if possible). I will appreciate it much. ^_^**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer : VF belongs to its Yamane Ayano. **

**Warnings : Tortures.**

* * *

**Chapter 9. The Victims Of Evils**

**Part 1. Some Things Are Worth The Risks**

Asami inhales the addicting smoke deep into his lungs. Closing his eyes to savor the familiar sensation, he lets the sweet taste of nicotine calms his anger. He almost lost his control in front of Akihito, and for that, he feels more anger towards himself than towards his naive boy.

He actually doesn't want to scare his lover by showing his evil self. Asami knows that the boy is frightened enough by Asami's world, even though Akihito has never admitted it out loud. He can see the battle within Akihito every time his young lover has to face a piece of reality of his cruel world. But so far, his boy always makes him proud by conquering his own fear.

Blowing the smoke leisurely, his anger slowly fades out. It is then that he realizes Suoh's glances in the rearview mirror. His bodyguard's face is full of concern.

"Is there anything you want to say, Suoh?"

Driving the Benz smoothly in the heavy traffic of Tokyo, Suoh doesn't take his attention away from the road as he answers, "I mean no disrespect, Sir, but are you sure you want to do the interrogation today? You look tired. Now that Takaba-sama has came back, you may want to rest for a bit."

Asami chuckles dryly at the advice. "My boy is so angry with me right now. I doubt he will let me rest."

"Does he know about the babies' identity, Sir?"

Asami exhales. "Not yet, Suoh. Right now, imparting such information won't be wise. It will push Akihito to the wrong direction. Handling my boy requires certain techniques and tricks. But it keeps me on my toes."

Suoh nods and remains silent for a while. A few minutes later, Asami hears his bodyguard carefully suggests with reluctance, "If it suits your fancy, should I drive you to one of the _other places_ where you can take some rest?"

Suoh doesn't dare to ask directly, but Asami understands the hidden meaning well. The _other_ _places_. With _other_ pretty girls or boys with light brown hair and hazelnut eyes. How many does he have right now? He can't remember. He takes a few drags of his cigarette while considering his options.

"Which one is the closest one right now, Suoh?"

There is a slight hesitance. Then the answer comes, "It is Emi, Asami-sama."

Ah, he almost forgets about the girl. Since the twins were born, he has no time to think about anything else but Akihito, his work, and their sons. He stops himself to repeat the last phrase slower: _their_ sons. He has never truly considered the twins as _their_ sons up until now. It feels...a little bit weird. But, it warms him in a way that he can't explain. It sounds like they are a real family now. Their sons bond Akihito with him, stronger and thicker than what any chain can do. And Asami doesn't hate the feeling that the idea creates deep within him.

"How is she, Suoh? I haven't seen her for a while."

"Based on the report that I receive everyday, she is well. But Haruka reported that Emi suddenly attacked her a few weeks a go. The reason is unclear. Kirishima plans to bring the girl to see doctor, but he hasn't been able to fit it into his schedule yet. Should I tell Kirishima to push the check up ahead?"

Asami can't blame Kirishima. His right hand man has practically spent all his energy and time to find Akihito and to take care of the twins while doing all his usual duties. They all need a break. And now that Akihito is back, hopefully everyone can relax a bit. At least, after they clean up the mess Akihito created.

"Leave her for now. I will deal with her personally once everything with Akihito has settled. Just tell her guards to pay more attention to her. Ask Kirishima to pamper her a bit, buy her some jewels, cars, clothes, or whatever it is the girl possibly wants. She deserves some rewards," he orders.

Something is off with the girl, but it doesn't change the fact that she has given him and Akihito two healthy baby boys. And for that, Asami feels surprisingly thankful. He is not sure why the girl attacked Haruka. For now, he decides to dismiss it. The girl must be emotional after giving birth. As long as she doesn't do anything stupid, he is willing to let her go with a generous amount of money in her bank account and a spacious house so she can live in luxury for the rest of her life.

"Understood, Asami-sama. Then, do you want to go to the other boy's place? Takumi's apartment is a bit further, but with this traffic it won't take more than 30 minutes."

"Let's just finish our business as soon as possible, Suoh. Then we both can go home and have our rest."

Right now, Asami doesn't want anyone else to comfort him. The only thing he desires is to go back to the warm embrace of his lover and their sons, which may be a bit difficult at the moment considering the boy's anger towards him.

* * *

Asami doesn't feel surprise to find Feilong and Yoh in front of the warehouse where they keep Tao. What surprises him is the way Feilong immediately kneels and bows down so low until his forehead touches the dirty floor as soon as the man sees him coming. Yoh looks awkward for a while but he quickly follows Feilong's example. Looking down at what he considers as a ridiculous and useless act, Asami keeps his face devoid of all emotions.

"Asami, have some mercy on Tao. My son is young and inexperienced. I had forbidden him to do any illegal business, hoping that he can live as an honest man unlike his father. But apparently he didn't listen to me. Now he made a stupid mistake by hiding your boy. He should have known better than challenging you. I am willing to do whatever it takes to compensate for your inconvenience as long as you can guarantee the safety of my men. Just, please, let my son live."

Asami can't stop the snort he makes. He notices Yoh's hands curl into tight balls as the man swallows his anger at Asami's rudeness. But Asami doesn't care. For the past year, Sion group has grown so strong that Feilong's power is nothing against his. Asami has to teach the world what will happen if someone dares to upset him. If he doesn't instill fear now, someone else may try to do it again. And the next time, he may not be so lucky to be able to get his family back.

"If you want him to live longer, you should have controlled him better, Feilong."

Feilong doesn't even lift his head up as he answers, "One day, you may be fortunate to be a father, Asami. Then you will realize that your child has his own thoughts, his own desires, and his own mistakes. You can never fully control your child. If I knew about his plan, I would have stopped him. What kind of a father am I if I let my son die before me, Asami? Please, let him live, for the sake of our years of friendship and alliance."

Feilong's words stop his next retort. His ally's voice is full with emotion. Asami stands there, staring down at the prideful man who pushes aside his own ego to safe his son. Asami knows very well that in other circumstances, Feilong will never do something like this. The man will rather die than bowing down to anyone; moreover to bow down to Asami.

And if this happened a few months ago, Asami would pay no heed to this kind of plea. Before, he never understood the sentiment between parents and their children. His own mother is a prostitute who doesn't even know who his father is. There is not much that Asami remembers about her. The woman didn't care about him, preferring the company of pathetic men who warmed her bed for just a single night. And when she finally abandoned him, Asami didn't feel anything. He doesn't know where she is now or whether she is still alive. And he doesn't feel the need to know.

But now, with his own sons sleeping at home, he can't help but feeling a little bit of sympathy towards his ally. If he can, he also won't let Rikiya and Naoyuki see the ruthlessness of his world. He wants to shelter them from the cruelty of life for as long as he is alive. However, it is simply impossible.

One of the many things that he learns in his life is that not everyone has the privilege of ignorance. And as his sons, Rikiya and Naoyuki will have none of it. As soon as his enemies find out about his sons, they will try to use them to get him. And his enemies are going to find out. There is no such thing as a secret in his world. If the ugly truth can save his sons from an early death, he will show the kids the darkest side of the world himself.

And refusing to teach Tao the rules of their world is the only mistake that Feilong did. But who can blame the man for trying to keep his son away from their dangerous world? Asami didn't want to give this kind of world to his own sons as well; a world where fathers watch their sons die for stupidity and sons kill their fathers for power. That is one of the main reasons that started his plan to let Akihito and his dog raising Rikiya and Naoyuki in a normal world. But now that he has a taste of how it feels to have a family of his own, he isn't sure he has the strength to see his lover and sons laughing in the embrace of another man.

It has been a very long time since the last time Asami felt unsure of what to say or what to do. So he puts Feilong's concern aside for now and decides to just follow his instinct. His loyal bodyguard follows right behind him as he enters the warehouse without another word.

* * *

The dark hair boy sits in the middle of the dimmed warehouse. His hands are tied to the chair. His ankles are chained to the legs of his seat. His face is dirty with sweat, dried blood and scratches. His left eye is swollen. There is a deep cut at the edge of his lips. He is barefoot and naked but for his torn jeans. And Asami can see purplish bruises all over his well-built chest and stomach. But despite his pitiful condition, Tao sits as if he is a royal and stares at Asami with a strong and steady gaze.

_Impressive_, the crime lord silently praises. Not many can stay calm in this situation. Most people will beg for their life as soon as he enters the room. He has to admit that Feilong's son has the guts. Unconsciously, he smiles at the thought of breaking this boy.

Based on the report that he received, Tao gave quite a fight when his men tried to capture the boy. More than half a dozen of Asami's men were shot in their vital organs. And the boy seriously injured a few others before they finally managed to bring him down. And the only thing that made the boy stop fighting was because Kirishima brought Feilong over to persuade the boy to submit. His ally didn't want all his men to end up butchered like Mikhail Arbatov's, and so, he gravely agreed to give his son up.

Asami takes his time to take his jacket coat off, draping it over a comfortable sofa near the door. After he rolled up his sleeves, he carefully removes the watch on his wrist. It was a gift from Akihito years a go, he doesn't want to break it. Finally, he takes a pack of cigarette from his pocket. Putting one in his mouth, he patiently waits while Suoh attentively lights it while Asami puts a nitrile gloves on. He quietly relishes a few satisfying drags of nicotine as he observes the young boy.

Tao doesn't say anything when Asami leisurely walks toward him. As per the usual procedure, his men have prepared a table full of instruments near the boy. A collection of various torturing devices, from different sizes of needles to numerous shapes of steel saws, is spread in such a way so that the person being interrogated can take a good look at each of them. It is more for psychological effect than practical purpose, really. Asami drags his fingers lazily on the table, slowly touching any tools nearby as if he is trying to make his choice.

"Stop pretending," the boy says calmly, "I know you have made your choice already."

Tilting his head, Asami replies amusedly, "Oh? And may I know what your guess is?"

Sighing, the boy answers in a bored flat tone, "I guess, it is your own hand. Right now, you want so much to feel how your hand can break my bone and rip my muscle up. You aren't so imaginative, aren't-"

And before the boy can fully complete his sentence, Asami hits Tao's stomach hard, though not with all his power. He doesn't want to tear Tao's intestine and send the boy early to death. Tao can't even groan. He gasps for breath and bends his body as much as he can before he throws up. Asami gives a signal to Suoh and the giant instantly throws a bucket of cold water to the boy, instantly cleaning all the mess.

"That's for giving the wrong answer," Asami tells the boy calmly before he grinds and stubs his cigarette on the back of Tao's left hand. "And this is for your cheeky attitude."

Tao doesn't even grunt at the pain. His fists tighten as he endures the burning sensation. He slowly looks up at Asami, his eyes are full with silent anger. Asami suspects that most of that anger is directed towards the boy himself rather than towards him. Right now, the boy must feel frustrated at himself for being helpless. But surprisingly, Tao manages to hide it better than most men older than him.

Throwing the cigarette away, he walks around the boy as he explains. "You are a smart boy, Tao. I have to admit that you impress me a lot. If Akihito didn't come out on his own, I would have never found him again."

He gently caresses the boy's scalp from behind before tugging the black locks roughly, forcing Tao to look up at him. Leaning down so their faces are separated only a few inches away, he asks, "So, I don't understand. Why did you make such a stupid move? Why do you try to challenge me? Is this your way to prove yourself to your father? Do you want him to approve your skills so bad?"

For a long moment, they just look at each other. Then the boy slowly smirks.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Asami Ryuichi? Because I am not intere-"

Asami hits Tao on the face. Bloods spill from the edge of Tao's lips and the boy leans forward until it looks like he is going to fall if the restrains doesn't stop him. But Asami pulls the boy's hair back, even rougher than before, and forces Tao to look at him in the eyes.

The boy growls low. "You won't understand, Asami. He is going to do it, with or without my help. But without my help, your enemies may find him and kill him. Unlike _some people_," the boy sneers sarcastically at him, "I hold friendship in high regard. It is not easy to find a true friend in our world. Some things are just worth the risks."

Asami releases the boy and Tao struggles to take a deep calming breath. Assessing the boy's injuries and behavior, Asami suspects that Tao has one or two broken ribs. But the boy quickly puts his mask of calmness and confidence on again, determined not to show his torturer any weakness.

In another 15 years, Asami hopes that his own sons can grow into strong and courageous young men, just like the one who now sits in front of him. If by that time, someone kills his sons, what will he do? Even now, he can't imagine it. He surely will kill anyone who dares to put their filthy hand on his sons. No. Let him amend it. He will torture and kill their loved ones in front of their eyes first before he kills them slowly. That he can guarantee.

Finally making a decision, he gives Suoh a brief order, "Bring Feilong inside. I want him to witness the punishment I give to his son directly."

And just like that, Tao loses all of his composure. The boy jerks his body in his useless fight to break free. His curses and shouts echo in the wide room.

"Fuck you, Asami Ryuichi! Isn't it enough to fucking kill me?! Do you have to add more to his pain?! He knows nothing about my crime! Leave my father alone, you fucking asshole! He is your friend and ally for years! Is this how you are going to repay his loyalty and trust?! By forcing him to watch his son die? You bastard, I pray that Akihito sees your true color so he will hate you to death! I swear, Asami Ryuichi, one day you will pay the price! Too bad I can't see your pathetic face when that happens!"

"Gag his mouth," he calmly orders one of his men who stand at the corner of the room.

When Feilong finally comes, the boy's calmness has broken into pieces. Both Tao's wrists bleed from trying to break free from his restrains. The boy screams uncompressible sounds through his gag, shaking his head in a soundless plea. Tears stream down his cheeks as he looks at his adopted father in regret.

Feilong freezes at the sight of his son. Asami observes how Feilong's hand turns into fists, so tight that it becomes pale white. But Feilong doesn't say anything. What else to say? He told Asami everything that might persuade the crime lord to release his son. And so far, it seems that nothing worked.

Feilong knows he can't challenge Asami. Not now. Not yet. He knows it will become a war that he will surely lose. He also knows that losing that war means sending all his men into their grave. And he can't do that to the thousands of men who relies their lives on him. If it is not for saving the live of his men, he will never let Asami treats his son like this. So he tries his best to pretend calm in front of Asami even though his heart feels like it will explode in unbearable anger. Mustering as much strength as he can, he tries to silently encourage his son, vowing wordless revenge and praying a quick painless death for the boy.

"Your son has offended me and so I have the right to punish him."

Feilong doesn't move his gaze from his son. He bits his lips until he can taste blood in his mouth, trying not to scream at his so-called-ally and give any more entertainment than necessary to the bastard.

"Therefore, I will take over all his businesses and routes. He will work for me, for years most probably. And during those times, he will learn how to grow strong and how to eliminate his enemies. I will teach him everything he needs to know to build his own power. And when I deem him ready to do his own dealing without repeating a stupid mistake like this, I will give back everything to him."

Before Asami finishes his sentences, both the boy and Feilong turn their heads abruptly towards him. Feilong's jaw hangs open as he gawks at Asami in disbelief. Asami simply smirks.

"Your boy has talents, Feilong. In fact, he is way too intelligent, astute, and cheeky to live a normal life as a salary man or even an honest businessman. You must be blind not to see it. If you don't want to teach him yourself, I will take him in and become his mentor. It is safer for him this way. But you and your son must know that I won't go easy on him. I am known for being a difficult boss and I will surely make him work to the bone. Maybe one day he will wish I killed him today instead of letting him live. And let that be his punishment for all the headaches he gave me."

The relief he sees in Tao's eyes are so transparent that he can't help but smile. No matter how hard the boy pretends to be mature, he is still just a child. Feilong's son is not even legal to drink and smoke yet.

Thankful that his son escapes death, Feilong walks quickly to hug his son, gently releasing the gag while Tao struggles to breath to gain his composure back. Asami waves his hand to tell Suoh to remove the restrains on Tao's wrists and ankles. And as soon as his son is free and safe, Feilong strides to Asami. Kneeling gracefully, his ally puts a respectful kiss at the back of Asami's hand.

"Hong Kong and China will always be your ally for as long as I and my son live, Asami Ryuichi. We will stand by your side even when no one else will. That I promise you."

And with that promise, Asami seals the deal that will ease his sons' path to his world. He is sure by now that there is no way he will let another man to raise Rikiya and Naoyuki. He and Akihito will take care of their sons together. There will be risks. But indeed, some things are just worth the risks.

And to do so, he needs as many allies as he can get. If he kills Tao today, it is just a matter of time until Feilong betrays him. By saving Tao's life and taking the boy under his wings, not only he has successfully eliminated a future threat towards his little family but he has also strengthened his power by creating a stronger alliance with the Chinese triad.

Asami notices that Liu Feilong grows soft with age. Ever since they are still enemies, Feilong has often made decisions based on his emotion rather than his logic. It makes Feilong easy to be manipulated. And in his opinion, those are the reasons why Baishe stops growing stronger in the past few years.

But Feilong's adopted son is a completely different case from his father. Despite his unconditional love to Feilong, Liu Tao is fiercer, shrewder, and less emotional. In a way, the boy reminds Asami of himself when he was young. Asami can see that Tao will make a very strong leader one day. And when the time comes for Tao to take over his father's organization, his sons will have a very powerful ally by their side.

Besides, it is much easier to make sure that Tao and Akihito don't have any sort of romantic relationship if he keeps the black hair boy close to his side. Satisfied with the result, Asami sighs. Now, he has another _boy_ that needs to be taught some manners back at home.

* * *

**Part 2. The Imitation and The Original**

Emi is terribly disappointed. Oh yes, she is so disappointed that she feels like tearing someone apart. It doesn't even take half an hour before Mariko starts spilling everything. Emi truly hopes that Akihito will last much longer.

The electricity shock works wonder. Chained helplessly to the wooden table as she screams her pain in agony, Mariko quickly tells Emi everything she knows about Akihito. Where the boy met her brother, how they met, how long their relationship was, what she thought about Akihito the first time she met him, how Akihito treated her children so kindly and got the affection of her parents so quickly, how her brother suddenly told her that Akihito wanted to break up half a year a go, how devastating his brother was since Akihito disappeared, blah blah blah.

From what she gathers so far, it is quite interesting to know that her master is actually interested with someone who is in an honest relationship. Especially since her master is willing to go as far as letting this Akihito to keep that dull man as his boyfriend for so long. Maybe, this Akihito is too boring that her master didn't want to keep the boy for himself. The boy may be just a light snack in between meals. She starts to question herself whether she really needs to spend effort to kill the boy.

Of course, with her master's charm, no one can resist the temptation no matter how honest he is, not even this Akihito. Even Emi can feel that her heart melts every time she looks at her powerful master. And heaven knows that only one or two things in this world that can do that to her. Unfortunately, none of that information will help Emi to get the boy.

She hums softly as she increases the voltage and Mariko shouts at the top of her lungs.

"STOP IT! Please, I told you everything that I know! PLEASE! Turn it OFF, PLEASE!"

The woman shrieks and begs and struggles in her restrains, fighting in hopeless attempt to avoid the jolts of electricity that shots from her wrists, her ankles, the tips of her every finger and some of her more private parts. Tears, sweats and mucus cover Mariko's face. But what Emi likes about electricity shots is that it is relatively clean. Nothing will stain her expensive clothes. After a while, she reduces the electricity power to a more bearable pain.

"It is not up to me to stop the pain, Mariko-san. It is up to you. Give me valuable information, and I will end your misery. I promise," she tells Mariko in sweet innocent voice.

"I told you everything. Please, let me go. Please, I beg you," Mariko cries as her body shakes from the constant aches.

"Now, I want you to search everywhere in your brain, Mariko. Find something that will make me happy and I will release you."

That is the only warning Mariko gets before Emi increase the voltage once again and extreme pain shots through her body. Actually, the whole process is so boring for Emi. Emi starts the pain, waits for a few minutes, reduces it, and asks questions. Then everything repeats all over again. She almost falls asleep sometime in between Mariko's screams.

But after a few rounds, Emi smiles as Mariko starts to mumble something that may be useful. Finally.

"I saw him...Akihito...he walked in this elite neighborhood... with groceries..."

Oh, Emi remembers this. She followed Mariko around. But when Mariko entered the condominium building, Emi couldn't because she didn't have the access. So, she didn't know what happened inside.

"How did you manage to go inside?" she ask nicely in curiosity while trailing Mariko's cheek gently.

"...cleaning...I...I work for a cleaning agency...have some clients at that building," Mariko answers as she trembles by Emi's tender touches.

_Poor woman_, Emi thinks. She can't help but pity Mariko. _If it is not because of this Akihito boy, this woman doesn't need to go through all this pain. That boy is a pure evil to put so many people in misery. _

"Ah, I see," she replies with a warm smile to encourage the woman to talk more. "And what did you see inside, Mariko-san?"

Mariko sobs but she doesn't try to get away from her touches anymore. The woman doesn't have strength left to resist her. Emi shakes her own head. _What a weakling._

"...I saw...I saw Akihito...he went to...to this lift...you see...the building has a special lift reserved for the penthouse...and he went into this lift...then I couldn't follow him anymore..."

Emi is stunned, "That's it? I wait so patiently and this is all that you can tell me?"

"Wait! Wait, please!" Sensing her displeasure, Mariko quickly tries to stop her. She swallows quickly before she tells Emi the rest.

"I asked around...I was so curious so I asked around. Another cleaning lady told me that she cleaned that penthouse weekly before. She...she told me that the penthouse was empty since she was assigned to clean it around three years a go. Maybe more, she couldn't remember. But the owner was a bit eccentric, she said. There are certain things that she must clean but must not move. And there is this one bedroom that she must make sure that everything stays at the same place."

"So, she can't move anything?"

Mariko shakes her head vigorously. Her eyes are wide in fear that she may say the wrong things. So, Emi shows her good grace by nodding warmly. She even smiles beautifully to encourage the poor woman to continue.

"Not even a piece of paper. She explained that there were receipts on the desk in that bedroom. But the owner's secretary instructed that she must not throw those receipts away. She could move it for a while to clean the desk, but she must put it back to where it was. She told me she couldn't even throw away anything inside the trash bin. She must clean it carefully, but everything that had been there, must stay there."

"Why? What for?"

"I...I don't know. I swear. Please. She told me that her agency suddenly informed her to stop cleaning the penthouse around a year ago. She was not sure why. But since then, she said, sometimes she saw a blond boy came to use that lift. So she thought the owner might hire another cleaning agency to clean the penthouse. But she couldn't be sure; the boy didn't look like he was a cleaning service. But she also knew that the boy didn't live there permanently. Sometimes, she didn't see him for weeks or months."

"So, this blond boy, am I correct to assume that he is Takaba Akihito?" Emi asks carefully, thinking while tapping her pretty finger on the woman's shoulder. Mariko shudders but quickly nods her confirmation.

"Is there anything else I should know, Mariko-san?"

"..."

"Mariko-san? Please, do not disappoint me anymore," she chastises her sternly as if she talks to a little girl instead of a woman.

"...I...the man...the receptionist in the lobby...we often talk when I come there...he has worked in that building for almost ten years..."

"Oh? And?"

"...he...he told me...that...that Akihito lived there before..."

"When? When exactly was it?" Emi needs to confirm. Her hand brushes the electricity panel and lingers there for a while.

"I don't know! I truly don't know! Please...He just told me that it was more than three or four years ago. He didn't remember when exactly it was..."

Three or four years a go? It was earlier than when her master started collecting light brown hair boys and girls. Emi knows for sure because one of those girls called Misaki mentioned it to her before Emi killed her. It seemed that Misaki was one of the earliest version in her master's collection.

"Then?"

"...the receptionist told me...a few years ago, the blond boy suddenly stopped coming. He didn't know why. And then the owner of the penthouse also didn't come much anymore for years. Not until around a year a go. Then he started seeing the owner and the blond boy again. Around two months a go, one of the owner's staffs even brought two babies in. It seemed that the woman didn't notice that he heard the babies' cry from his desk. He hadn't seen the blond boy for a few months now, he said. But he also said that sometimes it happened. Besides, the owner still came regularly. So he didn't pay much attention. He didn't know Akihito's name, though. So...so he always called him..."

"...called him what?" Emi pushes impatiently.

"...he called Akihito using the family name of the penthouse's owner. He called him...Asami-san. I didn't...I couldn't tell my brother. Akihito was a good kid. I tried to convince myself that he had to have a strong reason to go there. Maybe the owner was his family or something. I wanted to ask Akihito myself before saying anything to Arata. But then he suddenly disappeared."

Emi freezes. She thought her heart must have stopped beating for a while because her entire body feels so cold. What does this entire information mean? Does this mean that the boy is not the same with the other boys and girls? Which one is the original and which one is the imitation? He can't be the original, can he? But the fact that the boy had lived with her master even before her master started collecting the boys and girls with light brown hair and hazelnut eyes and the fact that her master brought her sons to that penthouse, what does it mean?

And the way the receptionist calls the boy Asami-san? If it is one from his famous collection, she knows her master will shoot the receptionist dead and punish the boy or girl for not correcting the mistake. Up until now, Emi thinks that she will be the first one who gets the honor of being called Asami-san since she is the one who survives to give her master heirs.

But maybe she is wrong to assume the owner of the penthouse is her master. From Mariko's story, the owner seems to be so different from the unforgiving and ruthless master that she knows. Maybe it is a relative of her master. Yes, it must be it.

Emi can't recognize her own voice as she forcefully asks the shaking woman, "What is the name of the owner, Mariko?!"

"Asami Ryuichi! He told me the owner is a zillionaire...a businessman named Asami Ryuichi. Please, I don't know anything else! Let me go! Please, I beg you."

* * *

It is almost 7PM when Akihito calls him. Asami smiles as he answers his phone, expecting a full lash of anger from his boy. But as always, Akihito surprises him. The boy's tone is quite civil as he complains, "You know, if you want me to take care two babies, you should tell me their names, at the very least. I can't keep calling them Boy No. 1 and Boy No. 2."

Asami chuckles, "The older one is Rikiya. The younger one is Naoyuki. They have bracelets with their names engraved, if you pay more attention."

There are some noises on the other end of the phone as the boy makes a quick check.

"Geez, the name is engraved on the inside of the bracelet and it is so small. How do you expect me to notice it?" His boy pouts.

"Well, I don't expect you to notice it," he replies with an amused tone. _I expect you to call me to ask for it_, he adds silently.

"So, no last name? Do you just pick them up somewhere?"

Asami can hear suspicion in his boy's question. Akihito is smart. His boy will connect the dots soon. Asami knows he can't keep avoiding this issue for long. But he tries to drag it, nevertheless.

"Why? Don't you like them? Should I tell Kirishima to throw them away?"

"They aren't some garbage that you can just throw away, bastard! I just want to know whether they have family searching for them at the moment! I won't take any part in kidnapping!"

He grins, "As far as I know, they have no family _searching_ for them."

There is silent and Asami starts to wonder whether his boy somehow guesses the truth sooner than he expects. Then he hears Akihito sighing.

"Poor babies."

"Anything else, Akihito?"

The boy grumbles and mutters, "What time will you be home today?"

Ah, Asami can guess the boy's problem by now. But the crime lord feigns ignorance. It is entertaining to see his boy fumes. "Do you miss me already?"

"No way!" his boy's answer is quick and loud. There is hesitance. Akihito's voice sounds unsure as he mumbles, "But I made dinner. It won't taste good if it is cold."

Oh, the boy is trying to lie to him, isn't he? Asami smirks in enjoyment.

"Don't worry. I am sure everything you made will taste good even after it is microwaved."

"Argh, fine! I want to take a bath, okay? I feel sweaty and dirty after all that running through the airport you made me did and a few hours flight back to Tokyo. And your goons don't want to release the chains for me. They are afraid to even touch or look at me as if I have some kind of diseases! How can I take off my clothes with the chains on my wrists and ankles?"

Asami bursts into laugh.

"Stop laughing, bastard!"

"That, Akihito, is a problem I believe I can solve quickly. Actually, I am on the way home already. I will strip you out of your clothes in 10 minutes."


	10. Chapter 10 Priorities

**Hi,**

**This chapter is divided into two parts (though I don't truly divide it into parts here). The first one tells a story of Akihito and Asami's _regular friday_ _dinner_ and it happened months before Akihito went shopping with Haruka (chapter 7). The second part tells about what Akihito does when Asami is away interrogating Tao. I was not sure about this chapter and actually almost deleted it. But I quite like it so I decided to keep it.**

**Next chapter, it will be all about Asami and Aki and their two babies. And some lemons. Between Asami and Aki, of course. Not with the babies. :P**

**Disclaimer : VF belongs to its respective author.**

**Warning : Lengthy chapter, as usual. And I do apologise for the grammar mistakes, misspelling, etc.**

* * *

**Chapter 10. Priorities**

_I stood nervously in the middle of the luxurious hotel lobby after one wedding shot, facing the biggest dilemma in my life._

_Damn it, Asami! I thought you said that everything had been taken care of! But looked what happened! I knew I shouldn't have trusted the bastard._

_Everything started in the afternoon when Asami decided that he didn't want to miss our regular Friday dinner just because I suddenly had a wedding to shoot that night. The lovely couple already told me that they could get an extra hotel room for me. But Asami being the great Asami Ryuichi refused to stay in a common deluxe room, even if it was a deluxe room in one of the most expensive five stars hotels in Tokyo. So he told me to cancel the booking and ordered Kirishima to book the presidential suite in the same hotel and to have a table ready for the two of us in the famous romantic restaurant located on the top floor of the hotel._

_Which was the reason why I was in his office that same afternoon, arguing in great details about how the wedding was scheduled to be held until very late at night and how the couple wanted another post-wedding photo session around the hotel the next morning and how there wouldn't be any time for us to do ANYTHING else but sleep. When he ignored me and kept reading his business thingy, I continued my reasoning that it was such a waste to spend so much money booking a suite just to sleep for a few hours. _

_"The couple told me they could provide an extra room, anyway. But I know it won't meet your standard. The room is so plain and boring. So, you see, you don't have to force yourself to accompany me just for a few hours. I completely understand if you want to enjoy your evening in the comfort of your condo. And imagine how much money you can save if you don't book that suite. See? It is a win-win solution. You can save some money for your business, while I can do my work-"_

_"Akihito, should I buy the entire hotel now just to shut you up?" He didn't even lift his eyes from the papers that he read as he cut my blabbering. Asami looked annoyed since I told him that I couldn't make it to our dinner because of work. And I knew that his patience grew thinner the more I tried to persuade him to cancel our plan._

_Okay, I had to make a confession here. I actually took this wedding shot on purpose. When I found out that the couple wanted to hire me from Friday night until Saturday afternoon, I grabbed the opportunity to avoid our regular Friday dinner right away. I was tired of waking up on Saturday morning with all the guilt for failing to refuse this selfish love affair churning inside my stomach. _

_I thought Asami would be more understanding if I told him that I wanted to cancel our dinner because of work. Wasn't there a rule that couple should be supportive of each other's work or something? Arata and I wouldn't complain if we had to cancel our plan because the other got work to do. And heaven knew how many times Arata and I did that lately. I had lost count already. At least, we wouldn't complain out loud and book a ridiculously expensive presidential suite just so we could stick to our plan. But as usual, Asami didn't react like how the other millions of human beings on earth would._

_I sighed and tried to argue one last time. "Asami, I really won't have time to have dinner with you. And what's the purpose of spending so much money for a presidential suite if we can't take our time to enjoy it?"_

_"Fine. Kirishima, change the booking. Extend it until Sunday so my dear Akihito can take his time to enjoy the suite. Adjust my schedule accordingly."_

_Kirishima just nodded respectfully while I gawked at Asami in disbelief. Was this man crazy? Why did every time I try to lead him to one point, he just went the other way? _

_"Asami, I can't do that! What will I tell Arata? I don't want to lie to him anymore!" I blurted without thinking._

_He finally looked at me. His irritation was clearly written on his handsome face. He didn't even look at his secretary as he calmly issued a new order. "Kirishima, tell Takagi that I would need him in Osaka by tonight. And give him something to keep him busy there until Monday morning at the very least."_

_I was speechless._

_"Now, I am sure everything is taken care of then. Or do you have any other concern, Akihito?" His voice didn't show any emotion, but I knew he was pissed beyond reason already. The more I tried to make him agreeing, the more he would issue unbelievable orders just to show me that he could do that. If I argued more, I would just make everything worse. So, I shook my head resentfully._

_"No, Asami-sama," I sneered angrily at him, "I don't have any more concern."_

_"Good," he said coolly and continued to read his stupid paperwork._

_And that was why I now fidgeted in the hotel lobby, sweating nervously because one of my best friends apparently was a close cousin of the bride and now he wanted to stay with me in my hotel room for the night. _

_"Come on, Aki. It will be fun! We haven't spent much time together lately. And since my dear cousin Maria, has paid the room, let's enjoy it to our heart content."_

_Maria hit Kou playfully, laughing along with her new husband. I was sure that I stared at my best friend with a completely blank expression because my brain chose that exact moment to stop working. _

_The problem was I already told Maria that I would book the room myself. I thought that I could use the cash she gave me plus my photography fee to contribute to the presidential suite Asami booked. At least this way, I wouldn't feel like I was a whore visiting her customer's hotel room in the middle of the night. _

_Of course, Kirishima snorted rudely as soon as he saw the amount of money I passed him. But he accepted it nevertheless, telling me that he would make the booking under my name so I could rest as soon as possible. So, now, I didn't have any room but the presidential suite that I would share with Asami, and I didn't have any money to book another room. How could I tell my best friend that I would stay in a ridiculously expensive presidential suite that was clearly out of my budget just because my selfish secret lover didn't want to cancel our supposedly secret dinner no matter what?_

_"It is a good idea, Takaba-san. Tomorrow the four of us can have breakfast together before you take our photo," Maria pleasantly tried to persuade me. "I will make sure Kou help bringing your equipment during the photo session."_

_"Umm," I tried to reject the offer diplomatically, "I don't think it is nice of us to bother a newlywed. You must want to have time together as much as you can. We shouldn't disturb your breakfast."_

_The couple just laughed as they helped Kou dragging me to the check in counter._

_"Oh please, Kou and I have always been close since we were young. It will be nice to have some time with him before I move abroad. My husband works in Hong Kong so I will move there to be with him," Maria explained along the way as she winked her eye to me._

_"Excuse me, can you please check a booking under the name of Takaba Akihito?" Kou asked the lady behind the check in counter. _

_I could feel cold sweat streaming down my back. But before the lady asked for my identification card, there was a commotion from the entrance of the hotel. Everyone turned around to see what was happening. _

_And there he was. Asami Ryuichi. Looking as strikingly hot in an elegant way as ever. He wore a black custom-made stylish coat with a nicely matched dark blue scarf around his neck. The color accentuated his silky black hair and the golden color of his eyes. And everyone inside the lobby gawked at the sexy crime lord wrapped in all those expensive fabrics. Everyone. Including the beautiful bride who stood right beside me. I could practically see Maria drooling over Asami and I felt a surprising urge to yell at her, "Move on, you just got married less than three hours a go. He is mine!" But when I glanced at her new husband, the young man also stared at my lover as he fixed his jacket to cover his tented pant. I shook my head. Indeed, tonight Asami radiated stronger aura of power, wealth and danger. And all those just made him looked sexier, attracting every man and woman like moth to flames. _

_Asami stood there arrogantly, obiously was not oblivious to all the attention given to him but didn't care enough about these people to show any kind of reaction. His eyes scanned the room quickly until he found me. I saw him giving a subtle order to Kirishima and his right hand man immediately walked towards me._

_"Aki, isn't that the man who picked you up after our new year party?" Kou asked behind me curiously._

_I gulped. Great, things were just going to get worse._

_Kirishima, blessed his heart, noticed that something was wrong as soon as he recognized Kou. When the man approached, he asked carefully, "Takaba-sensei, is everything okay?"_

_"..sensei?" Kou asked in confusion._

_Now I got Kou, Maria, and her husband stared at me in wonder. And it just made me even more nervous._

_"Ummmm," I murmured noncommittally, "yes?"_

_Kirishima's gaze at me was sharp before he looked at the lady behind the counter, who, of course, was also drooling over Asami. She blushed and quickly gave me back her attention, "Sorry, Sir. May I have your ID card to confirm your booking?"_

_I waved my hand in an awkward gesture, "Oh, ummm, you mean...like identification card? Like the identification card that we use to identify ourselves?"_

_She looked at me as if I was an idiot. What? It was better to look like an idiot rather than having my best friend found out that I made a booking for a fucking presidential suite to accommodate my goddamn love affair. But Kirishima realized the situation quickly._

_"Takaba-sensei, I know you are tired. But I am afraid Asami-sama doesn't have much time in his schedule. It will be great if we can have our discussion first before you go to your room," he gave me an excuse._

_I gladly turned around to face Kirishima. I was sure he could see relief written all over my face because he looked at me with some sort of concern in his eyes._

_"Discussion? Oh, oh, yeah sure! The discussion! Well, we can't make the great Asami Ryuichi waits for long, can we? Shall we go now so we can discuss, ummm, you know, whatever it is we want to discuss?"_

_I heard a familiar laugh from behind Kirishima. Asami chuckled so unreservedly that even I was surprised._

_"Oh, I am very sorry for this," he casually said to Kou, Maria, and her husband. The newly wedded couple instantly melted at Asami's deep baritone voice. "It has been a tough day but seeing the animated Takaba-sensei always brings laughter back to me."_

_The couple automatically assured him that it didn't matter, that they understood, blah blah blah. But Kou just stood silently, watching Asami in suspicion. I couldn't blame him. In my humble opinion, that was what everyone should do every time they saw Asami. Asami introduced himself briefly; hardly giving any information more than what was necessary. And my companions introduced themselves so excitedly. Well, two did that excitedly. One did that with a frown. _

_"Takaba-sensei, shall we go now? It will take some time to discuss the full detail of the project. And it is getting late already," Asami's voice pulled me out of my intense observation of Kou._

_"Then I will just wait in your room, Aki," Kou quickly told me._

_"I am afraid that the discussion may take some time," Asami lied smoothly. "I may need to take Takaba-sense somewhere else to show him some proofs."_

_"Proofs?" Maria asked curiously._

_"Oh, haven't Takaba-sensei informed you that he once worked as a photojournalist for criminal section? We are working for government's project right now." Asami tilted his head as if he was truly wondering whether I had told them or not._

_Maria and her husband were so enchanted with Asami that they enthusiastically asked in detail about the thrill of my past experience as a crime photojournalist. She even squealed in interest as Asami smoothly described my 'current project', a nicely altered conspiracy story that I knew he copied from an old detective novel. I saw Suoh reading the novel once and I asked what it was about. But apparently, Asami's trick worked. Everyone was distracted from our previous topic and for a while I thought my best friend would simply forget the idea of waiting in my room. Then Kou interrupted the easy conversation and I started fidgeting again._

_"I thought you quitted crime photography, Aki. You told me that it was dangerous and you didn't want it to affect your _relationship_ with Arata." Raising his eyebrow, he put meaningful emphasize as he mentioned the word 'relationship'._

_I hoped a hole would open up and I silently prayed that it would swallow me whole. I didn't know what to say. My mind was blank and I looked at anywhere else but my best friend. My breathing increased and my heart rate jumped suddenly. I felt that everything moved slower around me. And everyone talked louder to my ears. I started to sweat heavily and my instinct told me to run away from this damn hotel as soon as possible._

_The next thing I knew, Asami moved casually to stand beside me. Our arms were separated a few millimeters away and he didn't touch me. But I could feel the warmth of his body. The smell of his familiar cologne with a hint of his usual cigarettes filled my brain and, amazingly, it slightly calmed my mind down._

_"Takaba-sensei did. But I asked his favor and he kindly accepted. I am very sorry to ask this, but do you happen to know Takagi-san as well?"_

_Kou looked surprised, "Do you know Takagi Arata?"_

_Showing his perfect smile, Asami answered easily, "What a small world. Of course, I do. I believe I know this happy couple quite well. They always look so sweet together I can't help but tease them from time to time."_

_Normally, I would snort at Asami's blatant lie. But I felt so detached with reality now that I just nodded absentmindedly from behind Asami's broad shoulders, secretly hoping that I could lean on him and inhale more of the intoxicating aroma of his body._

_Asami smartly talked about Arata with Kou for a while, telling a funny anecdote about something Arata did at the office and, in the same time, making Arata a sort of hero in front of all this people. And everyone truly laughed at his story. Just like that, Kou didn't look at Asami suspiciously anymore. He still observed Asami's every movement, but he didn't say anything else that might reveal my secret. _

_When Asami finally asked me to leave for the restaurant, Kou didn't try to stop me. Maria frowned, though, and innocently asked, "The famous restaurant on the top floor? I thought it is already closed for the day."_

_Leading me with a strong and reassuring grip at my elbow, Asami smirked. "Is it? I am sure they will make an exception once in a while." And I knew he wasn't bragging. He simply stated the fact._

_"Um, I will wait for both of you in the lobby tomorrow morning, Maria-san, Himuro-san. 9AM, okay? Bye, Kou! I promise I will call you soon," I told them in a more steady voice before I left._

_Once Asami and I were inside the lift, Kirishima passed my lover our room cards. I didn't even notice when Kirishima checked us in. Too busy trying to hide my secret, I guess. Suoh and Kirishima stood inside the lift, facing away from us as they blocked other people from coming inside. _

_As soon as the door closed with the familiar 'ding' sound, I grabbed Asami's jacket and bring him down roughly to kiss him. I didn't know what got into me. I meant, Kirishima and Suoh were there, standing only a few feet away from us. And I just experienced one of the most frightening incidents since I quitted crime photography. But instead of feeling any fear or guilt, I felt horny. I grinded my arousal desperately against Asami's thigh as he held me around my waist and thrust his tongue deep into my throat, kissing me brutally. _

_"Asami...I don't know...I...why...," I sobbed as I gasp for breath. His face was so near that we practically breathed the very same air._

_"Adrenaline rush," he calmly explained. "Your adrenaline is pumping right now. Everyone has different triggers. It is natural. Nothing is wrong with you."_

_As he leaned down to lick my jawline, I bit his neck hard in frustration. I wanted his bare skin against mine. I wanted to taste his cum in my mouth. I wanted his cock deep inside me. Frantically, my hand pried to his pant, but his hand halted my movement. I looked up at him sullenly. I could feel his erection poking my stomach. So, what was his problem now? Didn't he want this too? Wasn't he the one who stubbornly insisted that we kept our regular Friday affair? _

_"Kirishima," that was the only thing that he said as he stared at me._

_"Understood, Asami-sama," Kirishima answered without looking back._

_What was this? How did Kirishima understand what Asami wanted just with that single word? Did they talk in a telepathy mode now? A strong wave of jealousy exploded inside me. Out of the edge of my eyes, I noticed Kirishima pressed a button on the lift panel as he took his phone out. I heard another 'ding' sound. But I didn't care. Everything else around me faded out into the background. Right now, the only thing I wanted was to show Asami that it was me who was with him. Not Kirishima. Not Suoh. Not everyone else who blatantly gawked at him as they worshipped his body secretly inside their pervert imagination._

_I stripped out of my clothes provocatively at him, ignoring the two bulky men who stood behind me. Asami smirked sensually at my unusual advances. He leaned on the lift wall and crossed his arms, obviously enjoying my show. I couldn't miss the hard-on in his pants or the way his eyes lit when I teased him by brushing my fingers lightly across my naked chest down to my stomach. His lustful eyes followed every movement of my hand. And when I reached my underwear, I took my time to take it off, enjoying the way he fucked me with his eyes as I revealed more and more of my bare skin._

_As soon as I was naked, I strode towards him, my hard cock was on display for him to enjoy. Circling my hands around his neck, I forced him to slightly bow down as I kissed him desperately, grinding our erections together. And he kissed me back even harder. I would have swollen lips tomorrow. But at that moment, I couldn't care less even if he decided to kill me there. He let me stripped him out of his coat. I trembled with an uncontrollable desire to touch his naked skin._

_When I felt the bulge of his gun behind his wool jacket, my hand stopped moving for a while. But he grabbed my chin in a rough but reassuring grip and forced me to look at him in the eyes. His left hand rested firmly around my waist. He didn't say anything else. His gold eyes pinned me in his embrace. And it was enough to erase all my doubt. I quickly removed his gun holster and the rest of his shirt. Before I moved to his pants, he positioned my back against the wall. His hands rested on both sides of my head, trapping me. _

_I looked at the powerful man in front of me. Asami in his stylish suit was truly breathtaking. But Asami dressed in nothing but his pants as he suggestively stared at my body was a sight to behold. The dimmed light inside the luxurious lift highlighted each flex and roll of his muscles. And I swallowed hungrily at the idea that this sexy creature wanted me._

_Licking and sucking my neck, he lifted my left leg, holding it with his strong arm while putting out his hard cock with the other hand. Spitting into his palm, he did a quick trick with his fingers to prepare me. And not long after, he penetrated me in a slow steady speed while thrusting his tongue frantically into my mouth._

_"Move...faster, bastard," I complained at him when he finally gave me time to breath._

_He snickered as he whispered low in my ear. "Oh, so impatient today, aren't we."_

_I blushed. But then Asami thrust hard. And fast. And it melted my last brain cell that enabled me to think about embarrassment. I panted and moaned, muttering wordless requests so he moved even faster and harder. He shoved his huge cock into me like a wild man, holding our bodies hard together until I was almost tiptoeing. _

_Tonight, I felt that my senses were dramatically heightened. And the stimulation he gave me multiplied into the point of insanity. So, when his cock touched that erogenous spot deep inside me, I howled loudly. My knees went weak, and his solid embrace was the only thing that kept me standing as I held onto him for my dear life. I wanted to cum. I wanted to touch my own cock, but our position didn't allow me. I was practically at his mercy._

_"Asami," I held his head in my arms tightly, "Please!"_

_He bit my nipple roughly and sucked it hard. And that was what sent me over the sharp edge of orgasm. Everything was blinding white for a while and I felt him thrusting into me a few more times before his warm sticky liquid filled me. Then it was all black._

* * *

_When I woke up, I found myself in the middle of an enormous bed, as comfortable as the one Asami had in his penthouse. A thick soft blanket kept me warm. But I was alone. Where was I? I noticed the hotel logo on some stationary at the bedside table and I realized that I must be in the presidential suite Asami booked. I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was still half past three in the morning. But I could hear some people were talking (or shouting, to be exact) from another room._

_Unable to find my clothes anywhere, I wrapped myself with the thin sheet I found in the bed. In the small lounge outside the bedroom, I saw Kirishima sat in a couch, silently reading a newspaper. He looked up when he heard me coming._

_"Kirishima? Where is Asami?" I asked in confusion._

_"In the office room in this suite. He has a meeting right now. Your new fresh clothes are on that table." He pointed the table across him. "Get dressed. You can take a bath if you want. After that, you must eat something. I will tell the room service to bring in the food now. You must be very hungry by now considering you didn't have dinner."_

_After I took a bath and dressed in clean clothes, I did feel hungry. Kirishima watched me stuffing all the delicious food into my mouth as he accompanied me for the very late dinner._

_"How come he has meeting at three in the morning? Who will come to such a meeting anyway? If my boss asks me to do that, I will tell him to go to hell," I asked in between the food._

_Kirishima sipped his own cup of coffee before he answered simply, "Well, people who want to keep their life will come."_

_I frowned at his answer. "If he was so busy that he needed to held a meeting at the wee hours, why didn't he just agree to cancel our dinner? It would save the both of us all the trouble. In the end, we didn't go to dinner, anyway."_

_For a long while, Kirishima looked at me as if I was truly an idiot and he wasted his time by talking to me. And when he didn't say anything after a few minutes, even I started to believe that I might be an idiot because I didn't understand why he treated me like one._

_"Okay, unfortunately, I can't read your mind like Asami do. So, unless you explain to me, I won't understand."_

_Now Kirishima looked confused, "What make you think that Asami-sama can read my mind?"_

_"Well, he just needed to say 'Kirishima' and you knew what he wanted. And I believe it is vice versa," I muttered with a pout._

_He snorted, "Brat, YOU just need to look at him and he will know what YOU want. And vice versa. Both of you doesn't even need to say anything to know that the other wants to fuck like bunnies. Is that jealousy I heard in your voice?"_

_I blushed, "I am not jealous!"_

_He shrugged, "Yeah, whatever you want to believe. If what you meant is the way he ordered me in the lift before, there is a simple explanation. He wanted to tell me to stop the lift, put it in emergency mode, call the security to turn off the CCTV inside that lift, and be on guard outside the lift. Or are you an exhibitionist and you wanted to give a free show to the men watching in the security room? If that is so, I will happily make sure that the security can watch all your action from the best possible angle in the future."_

_I stare at him in disbelief, "Then, why didn't Asami just say so?"_

_Kirishima sighed, "You were high with adrenaline. He didn't want to say anything that can make you even more unstable. Didn't you notice how you get upset just because he called my name? What would you think if he explained all that when your emotion weren't stable?"_

_His answer made me speechless._

_"Listen, brat. It may not be my place to say this, but he deeply cares for you. Every time you are around, your safety and wellbeing is always his top priority. Do you think he will spend effort to distract you curious friends and talk your way out of trouble if he doesn't care? If it were someone else, he would just shot the person dead. That was how I could guess what he wanted when he called me in the lift. Whenever you are there with him, the only thing he wants is just to keep you safe." He paused. "And as for why he didn't want to cancel your dinner?"_

_I remained silent because suddenly I was not sure I really wanted to hear the answer. But Kirishima ignored my discomfort and kept explaining mercilessly._

_"Have you ever realized that he always has time for you no matter how busy he is at work? I am the one who arranges his entire schedule, brat. And trust me, I knew for sure that he has never broken a promise to you. He employs millions of people, leads multiple businesses in many different countries, and practically rules an empire that reaches over the five continents. But surprisingly a freelance photographer can be much busier than him that you need to cancel your weekly dinner appointment because of work. This is just my humble opinion; you can just ignore it if you want. But when you start prioritizing other things before your partner, you may want to be careful. Maybe it is time for you to reconsider whether you truly care about your partner."_

* * *

Half an hour since Asami left me alone with the two babies, I still feel upset. But being upset won't improve the situation_. _

_Fix it one by one, Akihito. Don't take everything at once._

Okay, first, Mariko.

I try to open the front door. It is not locked. But three bodyguards in their neat black suits block my way out, watching my every movement as if I will suddenly jump and eat them alive. When I pop my head further out of the front door, I notice that there are another five guards looking at me from the foyer and another two guards standing in front of the lift. And I am sure there will be more downstairs.

Wow, Asami must have gone crazy. Ten bodyguards just to make sure that I don't leave? Especially after he chained my wrists and ankles?

Realizing that it is a futile attempt to go through the front door, I go back inside and close the door. Even if I can trick a few guards, I won't be able to pass all of them. There is also no way I can go from the balcony, unless I can fly. I sigh. It seems that I am stuck inside for the day.

Another option is to call Arata. But if Asami finds out, he won't be so happy. And it is not wise to make him unhappy after our quarrel this morning. _Think, Akihito._ _There must be a way to contact Arata without alerting Asami. I just need to carefully tiptoe behind Asami's back._

I grab the landline phone and dial a number. Kou answers in the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Kou."

"Aki! Where are you? Where have you been? Are you okay? Some scary people came and asked about you," he blurts as soon as he recognizes my voice.

"I know. I am sorry, Kou. It is a long story. Anyway, this is urgent. Do you hear anything from Arata? I think he is in trouble and I want to see if there is anything I can do to help him."

There is uncomfortable silence following my question.

"Kou?"

My best friend doesn't say anything for a while, as if he is trying to find the right words to explain everything. When he finally answers, his tone drips with his disapproval of my behavior.

"Arata lost his job, Aki. And his sister is missing. And he has to face everything alone since you are too busy doing whatever it is you are doing at wherever it is you are doing it."

I am stunned. I know about Arata's sister. But he has never said anything in his emails about losing his job. Since I left him, Asami must have lost interest in Arata's work. Even though it is not directly my fault, I still feel guilty. But I remind myself that I have prepared to sacrifice everything for Asami's wellbeing. This is just part of it. There is no point for dwelling in regret now.

Still, Kou's resentment surprises me. I know Kou has always been close with Arata. But I don't realize that they are that close. As my best friend, somehow I expect Kou to be more understanding towards my situation.

"Well, umm, I am truly sorry to hear that he lost his job. But-"

"He is a good guy, Aki."

"Indeed, Arata is a very good guy. But Kou-"

"He loves you."

"KOU, I broke up with him! I told you before I left."

"He still loves you! He worries about you! Do you know how hard the last few months are for him? He worked days and nights for you, for your future together. But suddenly you disappeared. And then his stupid client cancelled all the contracts with his company. His boss blamed him. He lost his boyfriend AND his job in less than a week. But you don't care, do you? You had never cared about him! You always took him for granted!"

"Kou, what are you talking about? I care for him. Well, maybe not in the way I did before. But I do care as a friend."

Kou snorts. But he didn't say anything else. Suddenly understanding dawns on me.

"Kou, do you like Arata?"

There is only silent. It all makes sense now.

"Kou, it is okay. I am not mad. Arata and I...look, there is nothing between Arata and I now. It was over. It was over a long time a go, Kou. We just didn't want to admit it."

"Well, maybe you think so. But he doesn't."

I rub my forehead in frustration. Why do all the men in my life have to be so stubborn? Of course, so far, the bastard still holds the top position for that.

Kou sighs before he continues softly. "Is it that man? He is the reason you break up with Arata, isn't he?"

For a while, I feel confuse. There are so many things run havoc inside my head at this moment that I need more time than usual to follow our conversation. "Which man?"

"Come on, Aki. Stop hiding it as if I am stupid. I may act like I don't care about anything in life. But I can be quite observant. It is something I need to learn since young in my family, remember? I am talking about the man who picked you up after our new year party; the same man who met you at the hotel after Maria's wedding. He is the reason you broke up with Arata, isn't he? Do you love him?" he asks gently now.

Oh, he means Asami. I close my eyes. Well, this is going to happen sooner or later. I can't keep hiding Asami from everyone forever. It is time to face it like a man and tell my best friend the truth. Kou deserves it.

"I do love Ryu, Kou. But he is not the reason I broke up with Arata. Our relationship just didn't work. That's all."

My best friend doesn't show any reaction to my simple admission. Then I hear him sighing.

"When we met him at the hotel, I realized something was not right. This Asami looked...I don't know...he looked so protective about you. He watched you all the time, even when he pretended that he didn't. But I knew he did. He reacted to every small thing that you did. And when he mentioned Arata and said what a happy couples you and Arata was, he smiled and laughed. But all I could think by that time was how upset he looked like. And I thought...I thought he had an unrequited love for you. I thought maybe you didn't know. But I couldn't tell you. I didn't want to. Even if you didn't know, I could see your attraction to him. And I didn't want you to realize it. I pitied the man. I know how it feels to have a love unreturned; being unable to do or say anything even when the person you love is so close near you hurts like hell. So I felt sympathy towards this man. But I didn't want Arata to get hurt. I will do anything so Arata won't get hurt," he pauses. When he continues, his voice sounds so full of regret, "I am sorry."

I don't know what to say. How come I didn't realize my best friend's feeling up until now? What kind of a friend am I to be so blind? "No, I am sorry, Kou. You didn't do anything wrong. I should have noticed your feeling. I am so very sorry."

Being such an easygoing person, Kou chuckles softly at my awkwardness. He sighs loudly before he teases me, "Well, let's just consider it even between us, then. Otherwise, we will just keep saying sorry to each other forever." I am relieved to hear his cheekiness back. "So, are you with this Asami now?"

I shrug. "I don't know. I am not sure. Are you going to tell Arata about your feeling?"

"What is this? Are we playing a game where we need to tell each other the truth like some girls in pyjamas party?" He laughs. But when I remain quiet, he gives up and answers, "No, I won't. And you better don't."

"But, why?" I instantly ask. Somehow I think they will fit each other. The serious Arata and the happy-go-lucky Kou will be a good balance.

"Well, you know my family. They won't allow it."

And I do know his family even though I just met them once or twice. They don't like me but the feeling is mutual. Kou comes from a strict family full with respectful doctors. His father and his older brothers are well-known surgeons. His family even owns their own hospital. It is already ingrained deep inside Kou how disappointed his family is because he failed to enter the medical school. My easygoing friend always acts like it is nothing. But I know he is much more disappointed with his own failure than his family will ever be. And that is why he won't do anything that may cause more problems for his family.

"You won't know for sure until you try," I tell him simply.

"I know for sure already. Even if Arata somehow likes me, which he doesn't, it will only hurt him. And I don't want him to get hurt because of me."

Somehow, his argument reminds me of _someone else's argument_; someone that I am very familiar with: myself. And for the first time since I woke up after the Russian incident, I finally see the whole situation clearly. It is weird how everything becomes so obvious when you are just an observer. I am not sure whether my next advice is truly meant for him or for myself.

"Well, maybe he doesn't mind to get hurt for you. And who knows what will happen in the future? Maybe everything will be fine and no one will get hurt. Are you going to give up now just because you are too afraid to even try?" The words are out even before my brain can filter everything.

Kou is quiet for a long moment. Then he replies in a steady voice, "Yes, I am going to do that, Aki. And we are not going to discuss this issue anymore. Anyway, you want me to check on Arata, don't you? I'll call him now. I'll let you know as soon as possible, ok? Besides, I don't think it is wise if he knows that you are back in Tokyo now."

I don't want to upset my best friend anymore than I already have. So, I give him my phone number quickly. And with that, he hangs up. I sigh. Now, I just need to wait until Kou calls me back. And hopefully he will do it before Asami comes home.


End file.
